A Magician's Curse
by Yumemi
Summary: Finished ...well, I hope you'll like it!
1. Prologue

disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 & 8, Card Cptor Sakura and Gatekeepers are not mine and are owned by their respective owners. Please don't sue me!! ~_~; this author is merely borrowing (and besides, I'm not rich).  
  
notes: I have made-up charaters here so please, if you want to use them, please tell me. All comments accepted (but it'd be nice if you don't say anything bad or rude ^-^).  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Prelude~  
  
It was a dark night.  
  
The rains poured hard upon the roofs of the houses in this quiet village.  
  
From the corner of the street a woman with a long, blonde hair runs, keeping her head low, shielding the baby in her arms from the pouring rain.  
  
"You cannot escape!" a female voice behind her shouted.  
  
"I will not let you have this baby!!" the woman cried back.  
  
The woman holding the baby flung out her left hand and muttered an incantation under her breath. Her hand suddenly glowed green and so did the rest of her body and as sudden as that, the glow disappeared and then, she started gaining speed leaving her antagonist behind.  
  
"you cannot escape, Queen Taraleia..." her antagonist said, a smile forming on her lips clearly showing that she was enjoying all this.  
  
===  
  
Not far away, two children, a boy and a girl, ran through the rain.  
  
"where is she?" the girl; with black hair, deep purple eyes, about the age of 9; said.  
  
"they can't be too far away, I can still sense them" the boy, a year older than the girl with the same long hair held by a brown ring and brown eyes, replied.  
  
They both ran under the rain, the the boy leading, following the aura of the queen and her antagonist.  
  
===  
  
The Queen came upon a grassy field and she stopped. She sensed her antagonist behind her but she was far enough so that she can perform her spell before she came.  
  
"Not so fast, Taraleia" her antagonist spoke, "you think you can escape me? that's foolish!!!" the woman laughed, coming earlier than expected.  
  
The Queen turned to face her "what do you want from my child Yoe?," she asked, while putting a spell of protection over her baby.  
  
The two women faced each other: the Queen with her long blonde locks, deep green eyes and fair skin and Yoe, with her short and straight black hair, ice-blue eyes, pale skin AND a cache of battle magic.   
  
"your son's life, of course" Yoe smiled evilly.  
  
"you'll never get what you want!" Taraleia shouted back.  
  
"they all say that. But the bad guys ALWAYS get what they want."  
  
"Not this time!" Two voices shouted and the two figures appeared in between the Queen and Yoe.  
  
Yoe's smile became wider. "ahh... The Clow twins. how is it, Reed and Saehri?"  
  
The two kept silent. They WERE twins even if Reed was a year older. Saehri's birth was magically delayed so that Reed would be a year older and no one would think of them as twins. But many people call them twins because of their similar looks, from hair color and style, eye shape and so on.... the only thing that differentiates them from each other is their eye color and face shape.  
  
"your majesty, I'll help you make the portal" Reed said as he ran to the queen's side.  
  
As Reed headed towards the queen, Saehri stepped a little bit to her right so that she blocked Yoe's path. "I'll handle you myself." she snarled.  
  
Yoe's grin grew even wider. "you dare challenge my power?"  
  
"underestimating can be a deadly thing" she replied.  
  
===  
  
Meanwhile, Reed's hands started to glow as he starts the portal spell.  
  
"I call upon my star..." Reed said as his hands started to glow blue.  
  
"ancient forces near and far..." the queen chanted as she raised her right hand high.  
  
===  
  
Saehri held a fighting stance as she drew her magical cutlass out of its sheath. Yoe laughed hysterically as she saw the cutlass. "you are going to use THAT?"   
  
Saehri flashed a challenging smile.  
  
In a blink of an eye, she was gone.  
  
Yoe looked all around her, searching for any signs of the girl, even magically.  
  
There was none.  
  
When suddenly... Saehri swiped her blade, aiming for Yoe's heart. Yoe parried the blade with a barrier spell. "not bad.."  
  
"that won't happen again." Saehri smiled and disappeared again.  
  
===  
  
The Pentagon lay across the ground, with the baby at the center, Reed by the right and Queen Taraleia at the left sides, their arms held out in front of them.  
  
Reed opened his eyes and raised his arms high. "open portal, of the star! bring forth light with our charm!"  
  
Doing the same thing, with tears welling in her eyes, Taraleia said, "send my prince somewhere far, away from all harm!"   
  
suddenly, the pentagon glowed brighter and brighter until it was too bright to look at. In the center a hole of a blue-green color starts to form and the baby is gently lifted up from the ground by some unseen force.  
  
As Queen Taraleia watches, warm tears ran down her cheeks. "be safe, my little prince."  
  
===  
  
In the heat of the battle, Yoe sees the portal made and the baby being sent into another dimension. Suddenly, she turned to face Saehri prepaired with a powerful black magic. "Black Mist!"  
  
Saehri focuses on the attacking mage and prepares to strike again when suddenly, she hears Yoe shout out a spell. Saehri stood frozen when she hears the words 'Black Mist'. This was a spell she hadn't learned how to defend herself against. "I won't loose to you!" Saehri says, her voice full of determination. "OPEN! GATE OF INFINITY!!" she shouts, holding her left hand before her, palms facing out. And suddenly, two circles, one inside the other, appears before her hand colored a pure white. A strong energy is suddenly released from within the circle, heading straight for the opposing force.  
  
The two forces meet at the cernter and a huge explosion rocks the gound, sending Saehri tumbling to her feet. While Yoe, floating above ground, turns to face the dimension portal.  
  
Seeing that there was no way to stop the baby from travelling through dimensions, an evil grin forms in her lips as a curse forms in her head. "I curse you! child of Taraleia!" she shouts, drawing the attention of the three people with her. Especially the Queen.  
  
Saehri suddenly jolts to her feet, knowing that she must stop Yoe before she finishes the curse.  
  
===  
  
Queen Taraleia's anger rose within her as she stood there, hearing her child being cursed, helpless to stop Yoe. Knowing that if she broke the circle, her child would certainly be sent to his doom.  
  
Saehri was her only hope.  
  
===  
  
Reed's voice boomed in her thoughts, knowing what the consequences if she didn't do as said. Holding her cutlass at her side, she passes the magical blast at her top speed ignoring the protest of her straining muscles. She had to stop Yoe.  
  
Whatever the cost.  
  
Yoe smiled more as she saw the anger in the queen's face. "That someday," she continued, the dark aura surrounding her becoming darker, "a card mistress will come and to whom you shall fall deeply in love with..."  
  
Saehri pushed herself beyond her limits just to reach Yoe. She was only about ten strides away, but she could feel that her legs will fail her. "NO!!!" she screams.  
  
Yoe heard saehri's fustrated cry near. She had to be quick. "...and when the time comes that you will kiss, the seed of evil shall sprout within you, and the monster that you family has hidden all these years..."  
  
Saehri suddenly rips Yoe's throat with her cutlass from behind. Reaching Yoe...  
  
Thick blood oozed from Yoe's mouth as she felt the cutlass' blade tearing through her throat. "...will come alive..." she gurgled out, blood splattering on her face.  
  
The curse was done.  
  
The baby disappeared, hearing the magician's last words.  
  
...too late.  
  
The Queen's heart throbbed in pain.  
  
"ZELL!!!!!!!!!" she screams.  
  
  
  
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that's that for the prelude. Hope you liked it.  
  
PLEASE REVEIW!!! 


	2. Chapter 1

disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 & 8, Card Cptor Sakura and Gatekeepers are not mine and are owned by their respective owners. Please don't sue me!! ~_~; this author is merely borrowing.  
  
notes: I have made-up charaters here so please, if you want to use them, please tell me. All comments accepted (but it'd be nice if you don't say anything bad or rude ^-^).  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 1~  
  
It was December.  
  
The land was stained with the colors of snow...and blood.  
  
A lone girl stood amidst the battle ground. Her dress was tattered and torn and stained with blood. She had been through a though battle.  
  
She had been the victor.  
  
And her name is Sakura Kinomoto, the most powerful magician in the world.  
  
She was only 19.  
  
she thought.   
  
Sakura was about to drop to the ground when she felt a familiar aura growing weaker and weaker. "Syaoran!!" she screamed and turned to look for her fallen lover.  
  
She saw him, his dess in no better condition than hers, covered in his own blood. Sakura ran to his side, putting his head on her lap. "Syaoran..." she whispers, "...please wake up. You're the only one left, don't leave me."  
  
No answer.  
  
Sakura's eyes stung as warm tears filled her eyes. Her vision blurred and she closed her eyes tightly, causing her tears to fall. With her eyes still closed, she willed her tears away only to find out that the more she willed it away, the more her tears gushed from her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand brush against her cheeks, wiping her tears away. She opened her eyes to see a pair of amber eyes staring deeply into hers.  
  
"D-don't....cry...s-sakura..." he managed to say.  
  
"Syaoran! you're OK!!" she said, a feeling of hope rising within her, "stay still, I'll heal you..."  
  
Sakura was putting her palm on Syaoran's forehead when he put his hand over hers, moved her hand on his cheek and stopped her. "no sakura... I can feel it... it's no...use..." he gently said, tears building up in his eyes.  
  
There was silence.  
  
Sakura felt her heart miss a couple of beats and felt like she was going to die right at that moment. "No....I-I'm going...I'm going to save you.....HEAL CARD! RELEASE AND DISPELL!!" she held her wand high, with the heal card dispelling its powers sending a cloud of glittering dust over Syaoran.  
  
Syaoran closed his eyes. He knew that the heal card couldn't save him anymore his condition was far worse than Sakura might want to think. He knew it. He could feel it, he could feel...  
  
...Death.  
  
But he knew that Sakura would deny that. even if it was obvious.  
  
"Are you Ok?" her voice flowed in his mind, like a sweet river. Syaoran gave no reply.  
  
Sakura's eyes widened. She didn't want this. She wanted to think that this was all a dream, that Syoaran would not die. But it wasn't a dream. It was very real - and that hurt her a lot. "DON'T!" she shouted, her tears flowing even more, "you're not gonna die!! YOU CAN'T!" she put her head over his chest. She could feel Syoaran's heart bet slowly. "....you can't leave me..." she sobbed.  
  
Syaoran looked up in the sky. They were both lying down now, with curled up, her head on his chest. he thought, Memories flooded into his mind, memories of their family and friends. Of SAKURA's family and friends.  
  
Her dad...  
  
...Touya...  
  
...Keroberos...  
  
...Yue...  
  
...Tomoe...  
  
...Eriol...  
  
...Ruby Moon...  
  
...Spinel Sun...  
  
...Takashi, Chiharu, Rika, Naoko...  
  
...and others...  
  
...all of them...  
  
...were dead.  
  
It had all begun when two sorceresses came fom another dimension, intending to conquer their planet, had come and started the Magic war. All of the best magicians from the magic palace came to try to defeat the two intruders. In that year Mr. Terada, Rika, Takashi, Chiharu and Naoko (who all discovered their natural magical talents a year before finishing college) died. The next year Kaho, Madoushi and Tomoe (her father had the magical blood) died. Earlier this year, Sakura's dad and Touya died. In August, Eriol, Suppi and Ruby Moon died in the two sorcerers clutches by a terrible curse. And by September, both Keroberos and Yue died as well.  
  
It was all to horrible.  
  
And now, HE, the only person Sakura was left with, was going to leave her.  
  
His heart swelled in pain as he imagined how lonely Sakura would be. Suddenly, her felt Sakura's head rise from his chest. He looked at Sakura and they locked in a gaze as the gentle breeze blew.  
  
In a moment that seemed to last forever, they kissed.  
  
Sakura lifted her head once again and hesitantly removed her lips from his. She saw Syoaran's hand touch her face, his touch was warm and full of love.  
  
"I-I'm...I'm sorry...to..." he stamered, then he chose not to continue what he was saying and said something else. "I love you"  
  
"I love you too." came the reply.  
  
Suddenly, Syoaran's hand fell to the gound.  
  
Sakura's eyes filled up with tears.  
  
There was a bright light then, everything was gone.  
  
===  
  
Sakura's head swelled with pain when suddenly everything around her begin to swirl all around her. Then there was a bright flash and a small thud. She felt her body land on hard ground. Sakura opened her eyes slowly and all around her she saw snow. she thought. She was wondering why the snow wasn't stained with blood, like it was before. She stood up slowly but felt like she was going to fall down again because of her protesting muscles.  
  
Standing up, she could clearly see the the cliff and the ground below.  
  
The ground below?  
  
===  
  
"see ya soon ma!" Zell waved to his mom as he left their house. Squall was waiting outside. They went there to buy some stuff and Zell decided to say hi to his mom.  
  
"sorry for the wait! mom got a bit fussy."   
  
Squall kept silent for a moment. "let's go."  
  
And they started to head back for Balamb Garden.  
  
===  
  
Sakura headed for the edge of the cliff, her knees shaking and acheing, and looked over the edge. To her left, she could see a ship-like thing and to her right, a small town. She kept on staring when suddenly, something hit her at the back. She wanted to look at what hit her but she had to focus on keeping balance. Something hit her again and finally, she fell.  
  
Sakura wanted to summon windy but she had no more enery left. She rolled and bumped the rocks on her fall. She knew that she'd never make it. "Syaoran...I'll be right over..." she whispered and closed he eyes.  
  
===  
  
Zell and Squall walked silently on the road. Zell wanted to walk off the road but Squall wouldin't let him.  
  
"Awww, come on Squall, a little battle won't hurt!" Zell said.  
  
Squall looked at him with his death-glare.  
  
Zell sighed. "okay...okay..." Then Zell looked up, towards the mountains. "Squall..."  
  
"WHAT?! I told you..." he shouted at him. But he silenced when he saw Zell running towards the mounains, looking up. So, he did the same thing but couldin't beleive what he saw: someone rolling on the face of the mountain, dresses in a strange outfit. "what the-"  
  
The blonde SeeD rushed over to the mountains, seeing ths falling body. When he noticed that it was heading straight for a VERY sharp rock. He panicked he thought, running around circles. He looked at Squall, who seens to be summoning a GF. he thought.   
  
He said the first thing that came into his mind.  
  
"FLOAT!" he shouted.   
  
The body floated inches before it hit the tip of the stone.  
  
From behind, Squall had finished summoning, "Pandemona, get that body over here"   
  
Pandemona did as was told, without any hesitation, after seing the wounded body and brought it back to Squall, laying the body gently on the ground.  
  
"It's a- it's a girl!" Zell shouted from behind.  
  
Squall looked at Pandemona. "thank you." and Pandemona left.  
  
"cura!" Zell said, making the girl's body glow white.  
  
Squall looked at the girl, who didn't move a finger, and said, "We'd better bring her to Dr. Kadowaki"   
  
Zell carried the girl's body and the two strated off for the garden.  
  
===  
  
"What in the world happened to her?" Dr. Kadowaki exclaimed when Zell and Squall brought the body in.  
  
"we found her rolling off the mountain side" Squall calmly replied.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki stared at him in disbelief. "ROLLING off the mountain side?"  
  
Zell gave a nod. He now looked like he was injured himself, with bloodstains here and there. "you better start on her now Doc, she doesn't look like she just fell off a cliff."  
  
Dr. Kadowaki gave a nod.  
  
Squll and Zell were about to leave the room when suddenly...  
  
The girl suddenly rose from her bed.  
  
"SYAORAN!!!" she screams.  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
Hope you all like this chapter.  
  
Please reveiw. ^-^ 


	3. Chapter 2

disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 & 8, Card Cptor Sakura and Gatekeepers  
are not mine and are owned by their respective owners. Please don't  
sue me!! ~_~; this author is merely borrowing.  
  
notes: I have made-up charaters here so please, if you want to use  
them, please tell me.  
All comments accepted (but it'd be nice if you don't say anything  
bad or rude ^-^). Please Reveiw  
  
*** I also would like to thank my small audience for liking the  
story so far... I hope you'd like this one and the rest to come  
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 2~  
  
  
The girl thrashed about the bed shouting 'Where is Syaoran!?!'. Squall  
and Zell had to pin the girl down so that Dr. Kadowaki could get close  
enough to inject a tranquilizer on her. After which she slept.  
  
"Doc, what happened?" Zell asked.  
  
"she just woke up and started screaming. I guess she was disoriented"  
Dr. Kadowaki replied, not taking her eyes off the patient. She turned to  
Squall and Zell, "Both of you can go now. I'll just call you if anything  
comes up." and the two left.  
  
===  
  
Along the corridor a woman, about the age of 20 with long black hair and  
deep purple eyes, walks then suddenly stops sensing a very familiar aura.  
  
"they're here." she whispers to herself. And she starts to walk again.  
  
As she walks on, she turns right by a corner. There was a bright flash  
then...  
  
She was gone.  
  
===  
  
Back in Japan...  
  
"I hope that Sakura did the job." Ruriko sighed as she walked to her  
fellow gatekeepers after defeating the last invader.  
  
Shun Ukiya, her friend(?), stepped closer to her. "don't worry I'm sure  
that she has defeated them. She IS the most powerful magician in all the  
world."  
  
"yeah, and the invaders are thinning out" Kaoru said. She was standing   
atop their bus, looking for any more invaders coming.  
  
Reiko sighed. "but I Wish that we could have helped her"  
  
Fei patted her friend's shoulder. "we helped her by defeating the invaders  
running amok town" she said, giving Reiko her patented fang smile.  
  
"I hope that we could rest now." Shun sighed.  
  
Just as he said that, their radio beeped.  
  
"speaking of the devil..." Fei murmured.  
  
Ruriko answered the walkie-takie. "yes?"  
  
"Ruriko, we have detected a strange signal just 25 kilometers from your  
present position." Ms. Oichiai said from the other line.  
  
"copy that. we're at it." Ruriko replied. "you heard that guys, let's go!"  
  
"OKAY!" they all replied.  
  
===  
  
the site was an empty lot. It was quite spacious and there were no houses  
for at least a mile. The team arrived there seeing nothing that looked   
suspicious.  
  
Shun was the first to get off the bus. "don't see anything."  
  
"keep your eyes peeled." Ruriko told them.  
  
Reiko tipped her head to the side. "how do you do that?" she asked.  
  
The rest sweatdropped.  
  
"what I ment was be alert." the gatekeeper of light explained.  
  
"oh.."  
  
The team sweatdropped again.  
  
Shun looked at Megumi. "make a barrier."  
  
Megumi nodded and did as told. She was different now, more friendly and  
open. And she seemes to have gotten along with Yukino and Saemi quite well.  
  
Just as she did that, a hooded figure stepped from out of the shadows.  
The team reacted accordingly, preparing their attacks.  
  
"who are you and what do you want?" Shun shouted.  
  
The stranger gave no reply but simply raised her hand in front of her,  
palms facing them. The team became more tense. The figure then opened  
a gate of pure white, which surprised the team.  
  
"what gate is that?" Ruriko said, her eyes widening.  
  
Suddenly, the white gate gave out a very bright flash.  
  
"do not worry, I shall return them to you alive and in good condition."  
The strong voice of a woman told them.   
  
"retun who?" Fei shouted, keeping her arm over her closed eyes.  
  
And after that the light disappeared.  
  
"captain..." Kaoru whispered.  
  
Shun, Ruriko and Yukino were gone.  
  
Megumi thought,   
  
===  
  
After three days, Sakura finally managed to wake up. she noticed that   
someone was sitting asleep beside her. Her first thought was Syaoran,   
because of the muscular biceps (Syaoran DID get to grow his biceps) but   
then, this guy....was blonde.  
  
He suddenly woke up.  
  
He first looked around and finally their eyes met. His were green like  
hers but were full of worry and there were black lines under his eyes,  
just proving that he hadn't been sleeping well.  
  
"oh HI!" he sleepily, but happily, greeted. "are you ok?"  
  
Sakura just nodded lightly, which made her feel that the world swirled  
around her. She suddenly felt the strong arms of the stranger supporting  
her.   
  
"thanks" she said in a silent, but sweet voice.  
  
Zell then let go. "it's OK. you better rest more." he replied. "by the   
way, my name is Zell, Zell Dincht." he said wiping his hands before   
offering, as usual.  
  
Sakura gave a smile. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto." Then she shook his hand.  
"and I think that you should rest too." she said silently, pointing  
at his eyebags.  
  
Zell then scratched the back of his head and giggled a little. "that's  
nuthin!"   
  
Somebody entered.  
  
"OH! I see that our patient is awake. How are you feeling? I'm Dr.  
Kadowaki."  
  
Sakura looked at the kind face of the woman who spoke. "Just a bit  
woozy, I guess." she replied.  
  
Dr. Kadowaki then turned to face Zell, "Zell, you can go back to your  
room now and have a good sleep. I'll take care of things here." And so,  
Zell left.  
  
===  
  
Along one of the halls, Zell came by the jolliest person on this side   
of the universe - Selphie Tilmitt.   
  
"HIYA ZELL!!" she greeted. "hey! how's the patient? your guard isn't  
over yet. What are you doing walking around?"  
  
"She just woke up a minute ago." He replied sleepily.  
  
Selphie tilted her head to her side and held Zell's drooping face up  
by his chin and smiled. "you better continue on you way to your room."  
  
"bye." Zell yawned.  
  
Selphie just waved back and went on her happy way.  
  
===  
  
Sakura saw how Dr. Kadowaki fussed about her and had to insist that she  
was just OK a hundred times. "um... Doctor, can you tell me where am I?"  
she asked.  
  
"why, you're in Balamb Garden."  
  
"where is that?"  
  
"in Balamb, of course."'  
  
"and where in Tokyo is that?"  
  
The doctor looked at her. "Tokyo? what's that?"  
  
It was now Sakura's turn to look at her. "Tokyo's a place. Isn't that  
were we are?"  
  
Dr. Kadowaki suddenly put the back of her hand on Sakura's forehead.  
"are you sure that you are ok?"  
  
Sakura's face turned from surprise to serious to anger. "OF COURSE!  
I'm perfectly fine! HEAL CARD COME FORTH, RELEASE AND DISPEL YOUR  
POWER!!!"  
  
And out from Sakura's outstreached arms came the heal card, looking  
like a nurse with a fairy's wings. The faerie gave off light which  
glowed and pulsated on Sakura, totally healing all her injuries. This  
made Dr. Kadowaki scream, therefore calling the attention of SeeDs   
passing by. Particularly Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa.  
  
===  
  
As soon as Zell entered his room, he plopped right into his bed and  
slept.  
  
From the shadows, a figure of a woman steps out. "Sleep well, dear  
prince. Enjoy your peaceful moments...the curse of my mother shall  
now be TRULY finished....I curse you! child of Taraleia! That someday,   
a card mistress will come and to whom you shall fall deeply in love  
with and when the time comes that you will kiss, the seed of evil   
shall sprout within you, and the monster that your family has hidden   
all these years will come alive.. then you shall die and face your   
fate! No magic may stop this curse from destroying you and this world.   
There shall be no hope on the face on this earth!"  
  
From the tip of her fingers sprouted a black aura that went over  
to Zell's body and embedded itself.  
  
~dream~  
  
"Zell..."  
  
Zell looks around, wondering were the voice came from.  
  
"Zell" said the woman's voice, which was like fresh water running   
down the stream. Zell felt awfully close to it, a feeling that made   
him long for the voice, wanting to hear more.  
  
"who's there?" he shouts.  
  
And suddenly, there was a bright light and from the darkness, came  
a beautiful woman with blonde hair, fair skin and same green eyes.  
Zell felt a longing to hug her but stopped the impulse. "Zell..."  
she says, her voice full of longing.  
  
Zell shook his head to bring himself to focus. "Who are you?"  
  
The woman's beautiful face became sad but then, she looked at him  
in the eye and smiled again. "I am nobody to you. I only a person,  
unknown to you."  
  
Zell's face became more serious. "If so, why are you here?"  
  
"I am here, to warn you... of great danger."  
  
"what danger? Ultimecia's gone! We defeated her three years ago!"  
  
The woman's green eyes were now full of worry. "Please listen.   
Great danger shall befall upon you and this world. I must warn you  
not to fall in love with any woman, especially to a card mistress."  
  
Zell's face was full of confusion. "what? fall in love? to a  
card what?"  
  
But before anything else could be revealed or answered, the woman  
disappeared and Zell woke up. He was on the floor and someone was  
beside him.  
  
"are you OK?" asked a young lady beside him.  
  
Zell stood up holding his head. "yeah..." he  
thought.  
  
"That's good. You've been lying there for FIVE minutes!" she exclaimed.  
  
With the mention of that, Zell popped his head up and looked around.  
He discovered that he was out of his room. "wha..."  
  
"anything wrong?"  
  
Zell looked at the lady, who was just a few inches shorter than him.  
She had a long black hair with long bangs all swept to one side, a  
beautiful face and deep purple eyes. "no, everything's fine... say,  
I've never seen you before, what's your student number and name?"  
  
The lady gave a sweet smile. "I'm student number 2234, Saehri Clow  
and I'm a Senior.....wait a sec.....aren't you..."  
  
"yep. Zell, Zell Dincht a SeeD. nice meetin' ya, Saehri." he  
offered his hand (after wiping it on his shorts, of course).  
  
Saehri shook it and smiled. "I think this is the beginning of  
a wonderful friendship."  
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
That's that for Chapter 2. Hope you liked it.  
  
PLEASE REVEIW!!! 


	4. Chapter 3

disclaimer: the usual disclaimers apply.  
  
note: please reveiw.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 3~  
  
  
  
Shun, Ruriko and Yukino found themselves one moment it a strange city,  
the next in a cold cell.  
  
"If I ever get my hands on that woman I'll surely...." Ruriko was walking  
around, muttering the next words unaudible.  
  
Shun was standing near the cell door, banging on the bars. "HEY LET US   
OUT! WERE NOT TERRORISTS OR ANYTHING!!!"  
  
An Yukino was just sitting quietly in a corner.  
  
"I'll destroy these bars if I have to!" Shun shouted.  
  
Ruriko ran over to him and held his wrists, "no, were already in trouble  
and our gate powers would get us into deeper trouble if were not careful.  
  
Just as the two were starting to argue, a guard showed up.   
  
"Hey, you three, you're being called to the president's office." he said,  
opening the cell.  
  
Yukino was the first to come out while Ruriko and Shun became quiet and  
followed after them. This was when they found out how large the whole   
prison was. It was a maze and only the guards seemed to know the way out  
of the underground prison.  
  
When they got out, they travelled across the city and saw many strange  
sights and sounds. It was very clear to them that the city was very hi-tech  
and well-guarded. They travelled deeper and deeper into the city and it  
became known to them that the president's office was in the heart of the   
city ('of course it's in the heart of the city! look at that huge building  
there!!!' Ruriko even shouted at shun).  
  
As soon as they reached the president's building (which they found out to  
be a very complex building as well), they headed into the president's office.  
Inside there was a tall, dark-skinned man, whose eyes were full of wisdom and  
whose hair was braided behind him; a very quiet, fair-skinned man with a   
heavy build; a lovely woman with short, brown hair; and a man, who was  
casually dressed in a shirt and pants, his black hair tied behind him, and  
his eyes gleaming.  
  
Because of the other two men dressed so formally, the three strangers had an  
impression of them being the rulers of the city and therefore greeted them  
in the most courteous way.  
  
"you must be mistaken," the dark man said. "HE'S the president." he finished,  
pointing at the casually dressed man.  
  
The woman spoke, "I know he may dress like that, but he is the president."  
  
Shun and Ruriko looked at each other, Yukino just kept silent.  
  
"You must pardon me, I'm not really into formalities, even after these long  
years. I'm still quite not used to it" the president spoke, his voice strong  
yet gentle.  
  
The other man nodded at the dark man and the dark man spoke, "you must be  
strangers then, let me introduce the people present. I'm Kiros" he bowed,   
"and the other man over there is Ward,(Ward waved his hand) and she is  
Ellone,(she waved as well) and the president's name is Laguna Loire."  
  
"hello!" laguna greeted.  
  
"I'm Ruriko Ikusawa, he is Shun Ukiya and this little girl is Yukino Houjou.  
We're sorry we misinterpreted you." she said politely.  
  
Laguna went over to them and shook Shun's hand first, patted Yukino's head  
and then shook Ruriko's hand last and said, "It's OK. I know how I must  
mave looked like to you. Oh! I forgot, I must welcome you to the City of  
Esthar!"  
  
===  
  
Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa bursted into the room, their weapons out. Dr.  
Kadowaki was behind them.  
  
"Is this how you say thank you? after all we've done for you?" Irvine  
shouted.  
  
Sakura just looked at him, holding the Heal Card in her hands, looking  
quite confused. "what did I do?"  
  
"you sent off that magic spell!" Selphie said.  
  
Sakura started to laugh.  
  
Rinoa looked at her one of her eyebrows raised. "what's so funny?"  
  
"I only healed myself up." she giggles, the Heal card disappearing  
in her hands.  
  
The three SeeDs relaxed. Rinoa spoke up, "you scared the hell out  
of Dr. Kadowaki!!!!"  
  
Sakura stopped giggling. "Sorry."  
  
Dr. Kadowaki stepped out from behind the three. "next time, tell me  
if you're going to do something?" she said.  
  
Sakura blushed and nodded.  
  
===  
  
Saehri and Zell walked towards the Infirmary. Zell didn't feel sleepy  
anymore. As they walked, they talked and because of that, he bumped into  
somebody.  
  
"sorry!" Zell says, bowing. And when he looked up, he saw a woman a few  
inches taller than him, with short, black hair and bangs staring at him  
with her cold, ice-blue eyes. This made Zell feel uneasy, with chills  
running down his spine. He noticed that Saehri looked at her with undisguised  
hate.  
  
"you be careful next time, blondie" she said coldly and left.  
  
"who was that?" Saehri asked.  
  
Zell looked at her and sighed. "That was Selune. She's just as old as I am  
but quite tall and VERY strong. She already defeated Seifer, Squall and me  
in a single battle! 3 on 1!!! She may look like she's someone bad, but she's  
really nice once you get to know her. But sometimes, she's just plain rude"  
  
Saehri had the look of hate on her face. "whatever you say, I hate her."  
  
===  
  
  
"So you say that you were sent here by a hooded woman?" Laguna repeated his  
question for the third time.  
  
Shun sighed. "ya! why don't you beleive us? I can prove that there is such  
a thing as the gate that we are talking about!!!" he shouted.  
  
Kiros looked at ward who nodded. "very well, show your proof."  
  
"Rurippe, you do it mine's too dangerous." Shun said.  
  
"no problem." Ruriko stood from the sofa. "does anybody here have an injury?"  
  
Ellone raised an eyebrow, "why do you ask?"  
  
"I will need it for this demonstration." she smiled.  
  
Ward raised his hand.  
  
Ruriko stepped closer to him and asked, "what seems to be your problem?"  
  
Ward kept silent.  
  
"well?"  
  
"he's mute." Kiros said from behind.  
  
Ruriko blushed. "oh...can you tell me how long has it been?"  
  
"VERY long. Ellone was just a little kid then..." Kiros replied, looking  
at the woman who was Ellone.  
  
"I see...I'm not so sure if this will work but...." Ruriko faces Ward and  
steps back a little then streatches her right arm out, palms facing Ward.   
"OPEN GATE!!!" she shouts, then suddenly, two golden-yellow rings appear  
before her hands, one inside the other. "Healing light!!!!" she shouts  
again, and from the inner ring, a shower of golden light pours inside the  
room. When the light disappeared, Ruriko was smiling, "how do you feel?  
she asks.  
  
There was silence.  
  
"It seems...." Kiros was starting to say, when suddenly he heard some  
mumbling. "what?"  
  
"I....I can talk!" Ward whispered in a hoarse voice.  
  
Laguna's eyes widened. "WARD! you can talk!!!" he ran over to him and  
embraced him, just like a child.  
  
There was a regular hugfest after which Ward turned to face Ruriko.   
"Thank you. Thank you very much."  
  
Ruriko smiled, "no problem. Maybe now you beleive us?"  
  
Laguna went beside Shun and put his hands on Shun's shoulder. "We do.  
And maybe now we can help you get back."  
  
===  
  
Zell entered the infirmary and encountered a group of giggling people.  
Zell stared in confusion.  
  
Rinoa noticed the look on Zell's face and greeted him. "OH! HI!! *giggle*  
how's everything?"  
  
Zell smiled. "fine. Seems like everybody's in a great condition too."  
  
"you've lost your eyebags. you must have slept well." a sweet voice from  
behind Selphie said. Selphie moved aside and revealed a beautful Sakura.  
  
Zell stared in awe. She was so beautiful! Her emerald green eyes stirred  
something inside him that was so overwhelming that it froze him on spot.  
For him, it was love at first sight. At that thought, he heard two voices,  
one that shouted in pain and agony, and one that laughed evilly.   
  
I must warn you not to fall in love with any woman...  
  
"ZELL!!" Irvine shouted.  
  
Zell snapped back into reality. "huh?"  
  
Irvine gave a sly smile. "daydreaming or fantasizing?"  
  
Zell's surprised face became a light pink in anger. "WHAT!! I would never!"  
  
Selphie came inbetween them and said, "will you two stop before it gets  
worse? please?"  
  
Zell quieted down and left while Irvine just smiled wider and smirked.  
  
Deep inside, though it didn't show on the outside, was quite worried about  
Zell. There was something about his that reminded her of Syaoran but she  
couldin't get her finger on it. she thought.  
  
===  
  
Sorry for the lame chapter. I was suffering my writer's block disease. -_-; gomen.  
  
I'm doing POV's for the next chapter, for an experiment. I hope that you'll like it  
til next time! ^_~ jaa ne! 


	5. Chapter 4

disclaimer: though I would love to, Gatekeepers, Final Fantasy or  
CCS don't belong to me, but to their respective owners. This author  
is merely borrowing don't sue me!! ;_;  
  
note: I'm pretty up today so I can say that this chapter is definately  
better than the last. ^_^ hope you enjoy!   
BTW, this is the POV experiment, so please reveiw!!! tell me if  
it got any better!!! ^_^; And don't worry, I'll only be shifting from  
Zell's, Sakura's, Ruriko's and two other mysterious people's views. But  
I might use other people's veiws as an extra (I'll tell you who's veiw  
it is). ^_~  
  
legend: (I know I should have used this in the beggining. -_-; BAKA! BAKA!  
BAKA! *punches head*)  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
~~~ another POV  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 4~  
  
  
I stepped out of the room after that. I thought. Though  
deep inside he WAS almost true. But I couldin't stand that! It WAS only  
ONE OVER ONE HUNDRED true!  
  
I sat over by the lounge. The elevator beeped every now and then as  
people buisily went in and out. It was all too strange for me. First,  
a girl just rolls over a cliff; popping from nowere, then that woman  
in my dream, the sleepwalking thingy (since I never sleepwalked in my  
life), and then...those voices I heard in my thoughts when I thought  
I was in love.  
  
...wait a sec...  
  
...did I just say I was in love?  
  
NO WAY!!  
  
not me....Zell, the Martial artist!  
  
...but what was it?  
  
I'm definately sure I felt something when I saw her....  
  
...when I saw Sakura...  
  
~~~  
  
I stared over by the ledge of the second floor as I saw Zell thinking  
deeply by the lounge. My plan was working perfectly. Everything was in  
place. The prince would soon fall in love with a card mistress.  
  
He'd just be too stupid to know that she is one.  
  
...Card Mistresses, come to think of it, no such thing as Card Captors  
are known in this dimension. It's a good thing I got rid of that  
pesky Card Mistress from before...what was her name again?...  
  
Never mind. That's unimportant. I'll just watch and wait for the things  
to come *grins evilly*.   
  
  
===  
  
  
Shun, Yukino and I were a bit more comfortable now. Now that Mr. Loire,  
the president, is our friend. He was pretty determined to help us though.  
But something tells me that it's best if we didn't get any at all.  
  
Don't I want to come back?  
  
no.......there's something here....something.  
  
We were riding a very hi-tech transportation that used tubes as a highway.  
Ward and Kiros were insisting that we use the limo but Mr. Loire insited to  
use the "transport tubes" 'less traffic', he said.  
  
I was told that the tubes went only to specific areas of the city. But it  
was still useful. Anyway, the transport can only carry up to 3 persons at a  
time. Quite few, I guess, but it goes really fast!  
  
Mr. Loire was with our group (Me and Yukino), still wearing those casual  
clothes. But he really must be famous, everybody in this city knows him!  
And Shun was with Ward and Kiros (who insisted to be called as Ward and  
Kiros. Mr. Loire wanted to be called Laguna but I insisted on using proper  
etequette).  
  
"Ruriko, Dr. Odine can't really solve your problem without days, months or  
maybe, years of reasearching. So, I'm gonna let you stay in a school dorm,  
if you don't mind." Mr. Loire suddenly said.  
  
I thought about it, but, what can I do? he IS the president. "no problem."  
  
He looked at me and smiled. "don't worry, you won't be studying there or  
anything. But you can if you want to."  
  
"thank you." I replied.  
  
In a school? why can't we stay in a hotel?  
  
Suddenly, the transport stopped and we got off. There was a huge building  
infront of us and it said: Esthar Airstation.  
  
An airstation? maybe this Dr Odine person lived so far away that we have to  
travel by flight.  
  
"Ruriko," he said, looking at me again. "I'm going to call someone who is  
going to pick you up here, with your friends. He's going to bring you  
to that school I was talking about."  
  
I looked at him with a questioning face. "what about Dr. Odine?" I asked.  
But still, deep inside, I feel that we shouldin't be helped.  
  
Mr. Loire thought about it for a while. "I hope you won't take this too  
hard, but something tells me that I shouldn't tell him..."  
  
I sighed. "You know Mr. Loire,"  
  
"Laguna" he said, smiling. "Don't make me look old. I'm old enough."  
  
I smiled and decided to go with the flow.  
  
"Laguna...I feel the same thing."  
  
  
===  
  
  
I watched as Zell left the room. Was he really thinking of me?   
  
"Don't worry about him, he just needs to let some steam off." Selphie said,  
her eyes narrowing as she immediately turned to look at Irvine, who's smile  
became an innocent whistling action.  
  
From the corner of my eye, Dr. Kadowaki stood up. "everybody, Sakura still  
needs rest." she said. Everybody waved bye to me and left my room. "You just  
sleep Sakura." she told me and left.  
  
She was just like a mother. So insisting.  
  
I sighed as at the silence inside the room. I wanted to ask where I was  
again, but I guess that that would be useless. Dr. Kadowaki would tell the  
same thing. And I felt that I was in another dimension too.  
  
I was the most powerful magician in the world. Everybody knows me. When I  
go into public places, people crowd over me and ask for autographs and   
favors.  
  
But not here.  
  
They treated me like I was just an ordinary person.  
  
Thinking, I felt sleep falling heavily on me. But I tried to fight it. I  
couldn't possibly fall asleep now. Not when I'm thinking about something  
important. But then, my eyelids dropped heavily and my world became  
black.  
  
=DREAM=  
  
There was a heavy blanket of fog around me, that I could bearly see a thing.  
Suddenly, a beam of light appeared from out of nowhere and cleared the fog  
away. That's when I realized that I was in a beautiful valley filled with  
lovely flowers. And in front of me, was a young who had a very faimiliar  
brown hair....  
  
He looked at me...  
  
Syaoran!  
  
My legs did what they usually do when the see Syaoran, run!  
  
He looked at me with his calming eyes and charming smile. It was good to  
see him again. I then jumped in the air, knowing that I would be caught.  
His arms opened in response and I closed my eyes, knowing for sure that  
I would feel his warm skin touching mine.  
  
I felt that I was falling. He'd catch me any minute now...  
  
After a few minutes, I still didn't feel him...  
  
I opened my eyes only to see a horrible sight....  
  
=end=  
  
*huff* I woke up to find out that I was still in my bed. There was a  
watch beside me, and it said '6:00'. I actually slept for three hours!  
It seemed only like a minute...  
  
"I had a dream..." I whispered to myself.  
  
And it was a very horrible dream. A very horrible dream...  
  
===  
  
"hey! blondie!" a voice from behind me shouted. I could  
only guess who it was.  
  
I looked back to see her...Selune.  
  
"What?" I replied.  
  
She looked at me with those ice-blue eyes of hers, sending chills  
down my spine. "We're ordered to pick up a few people at Esthar."  
she said.  
  
"US!?!?!?!" I exclaimed. I couldn't imagine going to Esthar with  
her, not even if we used the T-board.  
  
She put one of her hand on her hips. "Why do you think I'm calling  
you?"  
  
I looked up sacrastically. "coming.."  
  
She went ahead to the Ragnarok's parking station and I followed.  
I thought.   
  
For one thing, they were definately going to the Garden.  
  
Was it Laguna? I didn't know for sure.  
  
===  
  
Our group waited in the V.I.P room. It was VERY comfortable there.  
  
"Rurippe," Shun said. He was sitting beside me.  
  
I looked at him. "what?"  
  
"you know," he started to say in a whisper, "I think that we  
shouldn't get help from this Dr. Odine guy. Something tells me  
that that is wrong."  
  
My calm face became a surprised face. "you feel that too?"  
  
He nodded and asked, "you feel the same?"  
  
I nodded. I looked away from him and noticed that Yukino  
was sitting beside me. She was her usual quiet self.   
  
I decided to ask her.  
  
I was about to do that when Ellone spoke up. "Are you really  
this quiet?" she asked Yukino, who gave a surprised face.  
  
I looked at Ellone with a smile. "yes, she's often like that.  
It's quite normal."  
  
Ellone moved to sit beside Yukino. "you know, I bet ya that  
you know a lot than you may look like." she smiled.  
  
Then, an idea struck me.  
  
  
a voice in my head said.   
  
I was pondering on these thoughts when Ward spoke up.  
  
"The aircraft is here." he announced, smiling brightly.   
"let me introduce to you the pilots," then came two  
people, a young blonde man and a tall dark-haired woman.  
  
"This is Zell Dincht."  
  
The blonde man waved a hand.  
  
"and this is Selune Icarus."  
  
The woman gave a curt nod. There was something about this  
person, but I couldn't put a finger on it.  
  
"I still can't beleive you can talk Ward!" Zell exclaimed.  
  
Ward walked over to me. "she's the person who did it."  
  
"they're VERY spacial guests" Laguna said, "I'll explain later."  
  
At those words, Kiros spoke up. "Later? you're not going with  
then are you?"  
  
Laguna just smiled.  
  
"Laguna! you can't possibly leave! there's so much to do!!!"  
  
Laguna walked over to Kiros and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"AWWW, come on Kiros you can do it! PLEASE?" he said,  
putting a puppy-face expression.  
  
I heard Kiros sigh. "Alright. BUT, don't take long!"  
  
Laguna made a smile that reached both ears. "sure. Ward,  
you stay here with Kiros. OK? Ellone and I haven't seen  
Squall for months!"  
  
"Squall?" Shun asked.  
  
Ellone smiled at him, "you'll meet him soon enough."  
  
I smiled at the thought of meeting a new friend. But  
deep inside, I had a feeling that I would meet someone  
there, someone very special.  
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well, I hope you liked this chapter!!! ^_^ What do you think  
of the POV? do you think I should continue? mail me at  
deathblade909@yahoo.com or in the reveiw section and tell me what  
you think!!!  
  
Please Reveiw  
  
Jaa ne! ^_~ 


	6. Chapter 5

disclaimer: though I would love to, Gatekeepers, Final Fantasy or  
CCS don't belong to me, but to their respective owners. This author  
is merely borrowing don't sue me!! ;_;  
  
note: to all the reviewers, thanks!!   
  
legend:  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
~~~ another POV  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 5~  
  
So, Selune and I rode in the Ragnarok. With Selune on the controls,  
of course, she was the best pilot around! she can drive anything!  
  
As I've told you before, Selune and I don't go along too well so it  
was a quiet boring ride. Just try to start a conversation with her and  
it would end about in 10 seconds.  
  
When we got to Esthar, Ward greeted us by the gate.  
  
He was waving at us. "HEY ZELL!!!" he shouted.  
  
Wait a sec....  
  
shouted?  
  
I ran over to him. "what did you just say?"  
  
He flashed a BIG smile. "I said, hey Zell"  
  
I knew that me eyes grew wide. Why wouldn't it? Ward has been mute  
for who-knows-how-many-years!  
  
"WARD!!! you can talk!!!" I shouted.  
  
His smile grew wider. "Yep, but I'll explain it to you later, for  
now, let's just get to what you've come here for."  
  
So, he led us to the VIP room and there, we were introduced. Then   
I heard Laguna's request.  
  
"Zell, they are going to stay at Balamb Garden's Dorms. I've talked  
to Cid about it."  
  
"OK." I said.  
  
After a few moments of getting to know each other, We; Selune, Laguna,  
Ellone, Shun, Ruriko, Yukino and I, wlaked towards the Ragnarok.  
  
"WAY COOL!!!!" Shun shouted. He was behind me.  
  
"Shun! you're just like a kid!" I heard Ruriko say.  
  
I turned around to see Ruriko and Shun fighting about some sniveller.  
When they noticed me, they immediately stopped. I thought.  
"She's beautiful isn't she?" I asked.  
  
Shun smiled. "yeah."  
  
"It's called the Ragnarok."  
  
"Ragnarok?" Ruriko said. I nodded. "that's the name for the day of doom in  
Norse Mythology!" she added.  
  
I raised an eyebrow. "Nose Mythology? what's that?"  
  
Ruriko gave a silly smile. "never mind."  
  
  
~~~  
~Shun's POV~  
  
We rode inside the aircraft called Ragnarok. It was a really cool ship!!!  
Rurippe kept on straightening me out . Anyway, this strange  
new world is way cool than what i've already known. It is really wierd,  
but....it's still there was a certain feeling of being at home... like a  
kid that was once lost and has found its way back.  
  
And then there was this other feeling....the one that kept on telling  
me that someone was here...  
  
waiting for us...  
  
===  
  
When we got to this 'Garden' (which was quite huge!), Zell immediately led  
us to the Directory. There, Shun, Yukino and I dicovered that the place wasn't  
really that HUGE as we thought.  
  
We went first to the cafeteria where we met Zell's group: Squall (which we  
found out that he was Laguna's son), Rinoa, Irvine (which Rinoa warned to me  
silently that he was a skirt-chaser), Selphie and Quistis (who was actually  
an instructor in the Garden).  
  
After separating with them, Zell toured us around the Garden's 1st floor starting  
off with the Library, then the Training Center ('don't go there unless you want  
to train in battle!' Zell warned), the Dormitories, Cafeteria, the Quad, the   
Ballroom and finally the Infirmary.  
  
"Wow! you sure have a lot of facilities!!!" Shun said.  
  
Zell smiled. "I know. But there are places here where you cannot go without  
permission. Like the Basement or the MD floor and the third floor, which is  
the Headmaster's office."  
  
"what's the name of the headmaster?" I asked.  
  
"Cid Kramer. We call him headmaster Cid or just headmaster."  
  
Shun wanted to go and check out the T.C. with Zell and was about to go on when Yukino  
suddenly fainted.  
  
"Yukino!!!" I shouted. I put my palm over her forehead and realized how hot she  
was. "guys!!! help me!!!"  
  
Zell and Shun came closer and Shun carried Yukino to the infirmary with Zell leading  
the way.  
  
~~~  
  
I was reading a magazine called Timber Maniacs when I heard commotion outside the   
curtain. Iwas in the Infirmary of course, and I just disregarded the commotion for  
another injury. I was about to start reading again when I heard a female voice say:  
  
"Yukino... are you OK? please...wake up. Shun, take Yukino to that bed while we  
wait for the doctor. Zell, where's the doctor?"  
  
  
  
The names are awfully close friends of mine so I decided to investigate. Slowly,  
I rose from my bed and started to peek. The visitors were off my vision so I decided  
to open the curtains wide. And to my surprise...  
  
===  
  
Staring again at my old watching crystal, I see Zell enter the Infirmary. I  
hope that what I did to Yukino will do the trick of letting Sakura and Ruriko  
meet. Cruel as it may seem, what I did to Yukino is not really serious. I just  
made Yukino faint and raised her body temperature a bit.   
  
I just hope that my plan works...   
  
...to save Zell.  
  
===  
  
The dimension around us suddenly began to ripple and make waves. It was as if  
we were in water.  
  
"Ruriko!!" I heard Shun say. I saw his image but it was blurry and was 'rippling'  
apart.  
  
"SHUN!!! what's happening?!?!" I shouted. My heart throbbed in my chest.  
  
I was scared.  
  
~~~  
  
A opened the curtains for the purpose of seeing these people but instead, things  
around me ripples and flexed. As if a portal of somesort was being opened. I looked  
around and saw four figures: a tall blonde, which I immediately distinguished as  
Zell; another male figure who was carrying something which i guessed to be a body,  
and a female figure who had a very familiar bow on her head.  
  
"Sakura!!!" I heard Zell's voice.  
  
"Zell! what's happening?!" I asked.  
  
I noticed Zell's figure move towards me. "I don't.....AAAGGHHH!!!"  
  
Zell's figure....  
  
...it was....  
  
...it was...  
  
...disappearing!  
  
"ZELL!!!!!"  
  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well...that's about it for this chapter. Short huh? but I can't  
help it....*looks behind* *sighs* I've got my writer's cube attached  
to my back.   
  
I hope I'll get rid of it soon.  
  
Shun: WAIT! why do I have a small part? it's always Ruriko! Ruriko  
this, Ruriko that!  
  
Ruriko: you can't help it if she sees my intellectual superiority  
over yours.  
  
Shun: O.o WHAT! but you're just a sniveller!!!  
  
Ruriko: \_/ what did you say?!?  
  
Shun: sniveller!  
  
Sakura: hey you two, stop that! ^_^; this chapter's already ended and  
you're still fighting!  
  
Shun: ^_^ sniveller!  
  
Sakura: -_-; hoe....  
  
Ruriko: *brings out a 40-foot mallet* \_/ come here you !!!!  
  
Shun: *running around (with Ruriko running behind) making faces*  
@_@ hahahahahhahahaha can't catch me!!  
  
Rhys: O_o bye guys... Jaa ne....  
  
Zell: *_* hey!! what 'bout me??? don't I get to say anything? 


	7. Chapter 6

disclaimer: though I would love to, Gatekeepers, Final Fantasy or  
CCS don't belong to me, but to their respective owners. This author  
is merely borrowing don't sue me!! ;_;  
  
note: to all the reviewers, a gazillion thanks!!   
  
** for those who may have forgotten, I will only shift from Zell's  
to Ruriko's to Sakura's and two other mysterious people's POVs. If  
ever I will use a different character, I will let you know.  
  
legend:  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
~~~ another POV  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 6~  
  
We entered the room and brought Yukino in. Ruriko was very worried  
and was fussing over Yukino when the room started to ripple, as if  
it were water. And to my surprise, we were rippling too.  
  
I heard Ruriko's screams but it was a blur. Everything was. All my   
senses were blurring.  
  
Suddenly, I noticed a figure opening the curtains from a room. It   
was the only thing I could see sharply. I didn't know why everything  
was a blur except her.... but she was definately NOT rippling like  
the rest of us.  
  
It was Sakura.  
  
"Sakura!" I shouted.  
  
She looked worried and her eyes were almost slits to trying to fathom  
who was I. Finally, she seemed to see who I was. "Zell! what's happening?!"  
she asked.  
  
I was stepping towards her and was about to tell something when I felt  
my body rippling violently. Then, all my senses except my sense of 'feel'  
went blank. I didn't know what was happening. I let out an shout of agony  
feeling that my body was being stretched to its limits.   
  
Then I blacked out.  
  
===  
  
I was horrified seeing everything unfold inside my watching glass. Space and  
Time were being meddled with. I had already put a anti-portal crosser spell  
over Zell. This was the result of trying to open a portal while this magic was  
still implied over a certain object.  
  
Sakura was the only one not being rippled by the effect. It didn't surprise me.  
She was a Cardcaptor, controller of the elements. Sakura could actually controll  
Time and Space and go home like myself. But she wasn't aware of that... yet.  
  
Afraid that Ruriko and the others might be torn to shreds, I lifted the spell  
and thus allowed the disappearance of Zell. I wasn't worried.  
  
I knew where he was going.  
  
===  
  
The ripple-thingamajig stopped so suddenly that My vision swirled. I almost fell  
if it wasn't for the curtain on which I held on to. But that didn't worry me. I  
was worried about Zell.  
  
He just disappeared right before my very eyes.  
  
"Sakura?" the female voice said once again, drawing my attention.  
  
Looking at her, I knew my face had the expression of complete surprise.   
  
It was Ruriko.  
  
"what? ... how? ... when?" I blurted out as questions tried to get out of my mouth  
one after the other.  
  
Shun was also there, carrying Yukino. "Long story." he said.  
  
Setting the stories aside for later, I told them, "we must go and find Zell!"  
  
Ruriko gave me a confused look. "Zell? but he's right over..." she paused, seeing  
that there was no Zell at the place where she pointed out. "he must have gone out."  
she reasoned.  
  
"No." I told her, "He disappeared right before my very eyes. Just before the   
rippling stopped!"  
  
"we can't be too sure about that. Let's search the place first. He might know a  
teleporting magic. They DO know magic here you know." Ruriko told me again.  
  
I thought about it. What she said was unsure but not impossible. I've seen them use  
healing magic (when Selphie was here) so maybe he did know a teleporting spell.  
"alright. But we have to search fast. I have a very bad feeling about this." I told  
them. And it was true.  
  
I felt the fear seep through my very bone.  
  
It sent chills down my spine.  
  
===  
  
I laughed as a saw Zell's body reform before my very eyes. Though it did made me  
wonder why the portal magic I did acted so slow. But that didn't matter, my specimen  
had arrived already.  
  
"dear prince..." I said, carresing his face. "soon you will be an instrument of  
destruction, the harbringer of death. You will soon be killing your own people!"  
*laughs evilly*  
  
"I don't think that he would be able to do that. Not with me around"   
  
I heard a voice out in the darkness.  
  
"Saehri...Clow.." I said with disgust.  
  
I was right. Reed's twin came stepping out from the darkness. Her purple eyes  
gave an icy stare. "let him go." she said, with steel in her voice.  
  
"so, Reed's twin is still alive," I said, walking round, "I'm impressed. And   
what power do you controll that you don't age like so?"  
  
Saehri gave a wicked smile.  
  
===  
  
I met up with Irvine and Selphie and I told them what happened. They naturally  
thought that I was crazy. But with Shun and Ruriko to back me up (we left Yukino  
in the infirmary), they decided to look for Zell too.  
  
We separated to cover more ground. Just as soon as I stood infront of the elevator,  
I felt a tug in my chest. It was tugging me to go down.  
  
I thought. Then I remembered that they had a basement, but I needed a  
key to let the elevator go down.  
  
Suddenly, the through card appeared before me. "of course!" I said. "thank you."  
  
And so, I summoned the through card and went through the floor. As soon as I got  
there, I felt Zell's presence. "Zell?" I called out.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
that's that for this chapter. I sorry if its kinda lazy I was doing it  
on one of my lazy days.  
  
Please reveiw.  
  
jaa ne! ^_^; 


	8. Chapter 7

disclaimer: though I would love to, Gatekeepers, Final Fantasy or  
CCS don't belong to me, but to their respective owners. This author  
is merely borrowing don't sue me!! ;_;  
  
note: to all the reviewers, a gazillion thanks!!  
  
**Well, I've decided to go back to the narrating mode since I'm not doing so well  
with the POV stuff (means lesser lines! ^^) so here we go again...  
  
legend:  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 7~  
  
Saehri and another woman with long dark hair and matching black eyes faced off.  
  
"you look just like your wicked mother, Wu" Saehri said.  
  
Wu looked at her. "hmm....how observant."  
  
Suddenly, they were on the move. Finely honed arm muscles weaved in and out of  
intricate spells sending a blast that would send a normal person flying off or  
simply disintegrated on the spot.  
  
"not bad for simple card mistress" Wu mocked.  
  
Saehri looked at her with a smile. "do not forget that this simple card mistress  
is also the one who created them."  
  
Wu faked a smile and went into weaving her next spell. On the other hand, Saehri  
decided that if she could, she would end it now.  
  
"death card....show your power..." Saehri raised her hands up high, palms facing  
the skyless void. "show the mistress of the moon thy spell..." and a card, similar  
to those of her twin's but colored a very dark blues and silvers, excep for an image  
of a hodded man whose bone fingers held on to a scythe, appeared floating inbetween  
her hands, twirling, releasing slivery-white ribbons that brought destruction in  
their path.  
  
For the first time in her life, Wu felt panic nipping at her, her fingers were cold  
at the tips, frozen in the middle of a spell.  
  
"Zell?" came the voice of a familiar person.  
  
Wu smiled wickedly as she saw Saehri's face, surprised that the card mistress was  
able to sense them here.  
  
An opening.  
  
She didn't waste any time in trying to cast a spell. And suddenly, a black ball appeared  
before Saehri. And the balck ball exploded before her, sending her staggering back,  
and also making the card disappear.  
  
Sakura felt the aura of a very powerful clow card near her. she  
asked. She then saw a very faint image of Zell floating in the middle of the room,  
unconscious. "Zell!!"  
  
Saehri scolded herself silently for letting her guard down so easily. But she wouldn't  
let Wu get away with that. With a flick of a wrist, a card appeared in her right hand.  
She threw it high up into the air. The card was the normal color of a Clow Card, hues  
of browns and golds.   
  
"the Flame"  
  
Sakura felt it again, the strong power of a Clow Card but where was it?.  
  
"brutalize" and with another flick of her wrist, the card glowed blue and the bright  
colors became a dark mixture of very dark blues and silvers except for the image of  
a flamming phoenix, which stayed an ivory color. "show the mistress of the moon thy  
spell..." she whispered again, releasing a large bird of bright scarlet and yellow  
into flight. Wu thought that her new powers were enough to ward off the beast, but  
it was too late when she found out that she could not. The bird's flamming wings  
sent a boiling draft toward her and it burnt some of her clothes and burned the  
skin on her left arm.  
  
Badly injured, Wu disapparated into the abyss.  
  
Saehri smiled in victory. She then unspelled the area and left herself.  
  
Sakura felt the power fade away and with that, a black screen seemed to have lifted  
before her as she saw Zell's minorly-wounded body floating in midair. She was about  
to get closer when she felt how hot the floor was.  
  
"I wonder what happened here?" she asked herself. She then released the fly card,  
flew to Zell and pulled him to safety.  
  
===  
  
Ruriko and Shun searched along with the others to find no sign of Zell anywhere.  
Then they all met up by the directory.  
  
Squall, being the commander, asked first. "Ruriko, did you find anything?"  
  
Ruriko shook her head.  
  
He looked at Shun only to get the same answer. Squall then looked at the bunch of  
SeeDs just to get the same thing: nothing.  
  
"what do we do now? we don't know where he is?" Selphie asked.  
  
Ruriko then tapped Squall's shoulder. "what is it?"  
  
"can we go to the Basement? I have a feeling that Sakura, whom I noticed isn't  
here yet, is there with or without Zell." she said.  
  
"how can Sakura be there? she can't get there without the key, which is with me."  
Squall argued.  
  
"Sakura's a Card Mistress, she can do that or much anything else without keys."  
Shun said.  
  
Qustis looked at him in question. "Card Mistress? what's that?"  
  
Shun looked at Ruriko for help but help came from another source.   
  
"Wait a second! Isn't it that Zell told us that they are not from this planet?"  
Rinoa asked the group.  
  
Everybody nodded.  
  
Rinoa relaxed her tensed position, "well, if that is so, then, we should just  
question them later and save Zell, in whatever trouble he may be, now?"  
  
"I second the motion." Irvine replied.  
  
So, in his own silent reply, Squall went over to the elevator and inserted the  
key that opened the latch that covered the buttons heading for the basement.  
Everybody got in, hoping that Zell was safe.  
  
===  
  
"darn that Saehri! she will pay for this!" Wu said in anger.  
  
She held her bandaged arm and cradled it in the other. She was going to pay...  
very badly.  
  
"I'll make sure that her worst nightmares will come true..." she simled wickedly.  
  
===  
  
Saehri went back into her dorm and rested on her bed. It had been a long day.  
But deep inside her, there was a feeling of contentment, a feeling that told  
her that she had not been wrong when she cursed herself that lonely night...  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well, that's that. I hope you liked it. See ya in the next chapter.  
  
Jaa ne! 


	9. Chapter 8

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 8~  
  
Zell lay on a bed in the infirmary and everyone was around him. He has  
been unscious for two days now, and still asleep.  
  
"let me heal him." Sakura offered.  
  
Selphie looked at her. "like that day you casted cura on yourself?"  
  
"Cura? what's that?"  
  
"It's a healing spell" Quistis explained.  
  
"oh. No, I'm not gonna use a Cura spell, I'm gonna use the Heal Card." she  
said smiling.  
  
It was now Selphie's turn to question her. "what's a Heal Card?"  
  
Sakura then, magically summoned the said card and it appeared in her left  
hand. She let Ruriko pass it to the others for them to see. "That's a Heal  
Card. I summon their powers to heal a person."  
  
"Do you junction this? is it just like a GF?" Irvine asked, looking at  
the card that was just passed to him, then passed it on to Squall.  
  
Before Sakura could say anything, Shun spoke up. "I think that one side  
should explain things first before the other does."  
  
Squall nodded his head in agreement as he gave the card to Sakura. "Yes  
I think that would be appropriate."  
  
"So, who should explain first?" Selphie asked.  
  
"I think that our side should explain first, I'm sure that its more  
complex that what you will explain." Rinoa said.  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
===  
  
Selune walked around the Garden looking for Zell. She heard that he was  
at the Infirmary. But it had been two days already since he last saw him.  
She knew that he was tough and that he might be walking around now. She  
was glad she was sent to this assignment with him, since he knew more of  
Timber than she does and he would be a great help.  
  
When at last she couldn't find him, she went to the Infirmry just to  
check if he was still there.  
  
When she got there, Dr. Kadowaki was not around so she decided to peek  
in one of the curtains. Just as she was about to open the curtain on the  
first room, she heard people talking about GF junctioning and stuff. The  
basics. She knocked on the wall beside curtain no.2.  
  
Rinoa's head peeped out. "yes? OH! it's you, Selune! what can I do for  
you?" she stepped out of the curtain.  
  
"Um, is Zell still injured? Headmaster Cid has asked me to do something  
at Timber and he told me that Zell would be my companion." she said  
nicely.  
  
"I'm afraid that he's still injured" she said smiling, she was actually  
liking Selune now but she didn't know why, it was as if something about  
her had changed for the better. "But, maybe you can go with me! I used  
to live in Timber you know. I', sure I can help."  
  
"you're not busy?" Selune asked.  
  
Rinoa shook her head.   
  
"OK. Let's go, but, you better tell you friends about it. I'll be waiting  
at the Ragnarok."  
  
And Selune left.  
  
Rinoa went back into the room where instructor Quistis Trepe was giving  
lessons to the newcomers. "excuse me," Rinoa said. "I'll be leaving for  
Timber with Selune so don't go looking for me OK? Zell was supposed to  
go but I volunteered in his place."  
  
Squall looked at her. "going with Selune?"  
  
Rinoa gave a curt nod.  
  
"Okay, but be careful, I heard that she's a real toughie" Selphie said.  
  
"I'll be. Bye guys!!" Rinoa said, as she stepped out of the room.  
  
"do you understand?" Qustis asked, making Squall and Selphie turn their  
heads towards the small class.  
  
Quistis was explaining to them the basics ans so far, she was successful.  
Her 'class' was so absorbed that they didn't realize Rinoa's parting.  
Irvine was listening intently too.  
  
"Yup!" Shun said.  
  
Ruriko sighed. "It must be a hard life as a SeeD, there's so much to  
remember!"  
  
"You're just saying that because even though she jusd had taught you the  
basics in fighting, that was kinda advance for begginers." Irvine said.  
  
"well, now that you're done explaining, We'll explain our side." Skura  
smiled and immediately started explaining.  
  
===  
  
"where is this place?" Zell asked.  
  
Naturally, no one answered.  
  
"you better wake up." a feminine voice said.  
  
Zell looked around but didn't see anybody. "who are you? show yourself!"  
  
"no one in particular. I am no one important to you." the voice said.  
  
"is that so? then you must know how to get out of here?"  
  
Zell felt the voice as if it smiled. "YOU know the way."  
  
Zell raised an eyebrow. "I KNOW the way?"   
  
"why yes!"  
  
*sigh* "that's very comforting y'know" he said in a sacrastic tone.  
  
The voice laughed. "just wake up silly! You've been asleep for two days  
already!"  
  
"WHAT!??! TWO DAYS?!?!"  
  
"uh-uh so ye better wake up m'laddie!"   
  
Zell scratched his head. "how?"  
  
Suddenly, and image of a woman with long black hair, long bangs and  
deep purple eyes and a beautiful China-doll like face wearing a Chinese  
dress appeared before him. She was just a few inches taller than him.  
The whiteness of her dress made her glow in the black surroundings.  
Zell was speechless. "you know the answer." she said, pointing an  
index finger on his chest. Then, she disappeared.  
  
Zell pointed to himself in silence and then suddenly, he heard a buzzing  
sound in his ear. Irritated, Zell shooed the buzz and while doing so,  
accidentaly slapped himself.  
  
===  
  
Zell moaned in his bed.  
  
"Zell!" Selphie almost shouted in excitement.  
  
Everyone in the room looked at her. "what?" Squall asked.  
  
"Zell! he's coming to!!" she said excitedly. Everyone turned to look  
at the moaning Zell who just sat up and rubbed his head.  
  
"Zell!" Sakura shouted with glee. "you're awake!! thank goodness!"  
  
"wha?" Zell sleepily said, "what happened?"  
  
"you were injured. But I'm glad that you're OK now Zell." Irvine  
said. "who am I going to play cards with if not Zell?" he winked  
at him. Zell ALWAYS looses to Irvine in card games.  
  
"ha-ha"  
  
Everyone in the room laughed.  
  
===  
  
Arrived in the cockpit to see Selune reeving up the engines. Selune  
noticed her arrival and smiled. "Ready to go?" she asked her.  
  
Rinoa smiled back. "Let's get going!"  
  
Unknowingly, a shadowy figure silently sneaks into the ship and into  
the engine room....  
  
  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------- 


	10. Chapter 9

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
"...." their words (you should know this by now)  
thoughts (though it won't be much use now)  
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 9~  
  
"Thanks for the treat!" Zell said as he and Sakura walked about the canteen.  
She had just bought him the last piece of hotdog.  
  
"No. Problem! It's the least I can do....after hitting you at the knee."  
  
They both laughed.  
  
It was already two days after Zell woke up and he had been showing Sakura the  
Garden's secret. ALL it's secrets.  
  
"Hey! you two!" it was Selphie. "call from Esthar!!"  
  
"sounds important." Sakura commented.  
  
"it IS important. Anything from Esthar is important." Zell answered as they   
ran after Selphie.  
  
"OH? how is that?"  
  
"You'll see."  
  
===  
  
"Esthar is sooo out of this world!" Rinoa said.   
  
Selune thought.  
  
Rinoa and Selune walked through the large, natural park that was recently  
built. The park was well decorated on this day, because the president was  
going to make (much to the group's surprise) a speech. Zell and Selune was  
supposed to be Laguna's bodyguards - as hired by Kiros - and Selune was  
supposed to be Squall but since he was the commander, he was stuck at work  
and there was no one available but Selune. But due to certain events, Zell  
was also unable to go and Rinoa offered to be his sub.  
  
"Rinoa, Selune! nice to see you again!" Laguna shook hands with the both  
of them.  
  
"hello Sir Laguna!" Rinoa said happily.  
  
Laguna smiled brightly. "don't you mean father-in-law?"  
  
Rinoa blushed furiously.  
  
Selune looked behind her, sensing someone spying on them.  
  
"What's wrong?" Laguna asked.  
  
Selune looked back at him with a smile. "nothing sir, just that the place  
really awes me a lot."  
  
"Why, thank you Selune! I headed the decorations dept." Ellone arrived,  
smiling.  
  
"Laguna, It's time" Kiros suddenly butted in. "Where's your gown?"  
  
"b-but KIROS! I HATE THAT GOWN!" hi whined.  
  
"AWWW! come on uncle Laguna! It'd look goo on you!" Ellone said, dragging  
him away.  
  
"don't worry sir! we'll make sure that we'll protect you from the press!!!"  
Selune joked in.  
  
"KIROS!!!" Laguna whined again.  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
===  
  
"Isn't Esthar amazing?" Zell whispered in Sakuras ear.  
  
Sakura, in reply, just nodded. Lost for words.  
  
"Okay. Now, we'll be seing Laguna's speech. Quiet everyone!"  
  
Squall thought, running his hands through his brown  
hair.  
  
===  
  
"This will be one easy shot..."  
  
===  
  
"I really don't fell good about this Rinoa. Something's not right." Selune  
whispered in her ear.  
  
"Are you kidding?!" she laughed "what's more perfect than this?"  
  
Selune still followed her instincts and kept on guard.   
she thought.  
  
Meanwhile, the ceremony bagan...  
  
"people of Esthar, let me present to you... President Laguna!!!!" the announcer  
said. People of all races who were at the park and those watching at their TVs  
cheered. For Laguna was the president. The person whose plans led to the defeat  
of two evil sorceresses: Adel and Ultimecia.  
  
Laguna stepped up the stage with Ward, Kiros and Ellone silently cheered him  
from behind. As he stepped on the podium, he produced a smell piece of paper  
and scratched his head as usual.  
  
"oh boy..." Ward muttered. Kiros shook his head while Ellone, Rinoa and Selune  
(who were standing up) giggled.  
  
"uh...Goodmorning, citizens of Esthar and the world! um..." Laguna said for a  
start, glancing at the paper and looking at the audience again. "We're here  
for a special day of Celebration...the day when...."  
  
I HATE IT!! Selune's thoughts shouted.   
  
  
"one?" a stranger hiding up in one of the leafy trees whispered to himself.  
"let's make it two.....one in the head and one in the heart..... TWO easy   
shots..."  
  
The stranger in black, fitting suit readied his gun stealthily without shaking  
a leaf.  
  
  
Laguna glanced at his paper, only to find out that it was blown away.   
he looked at the crowd again and scrathed his head. "um...I have to admit. I'm  
not really good with words..."  
  
The crowd laughed.  
  
"but, I tried to teach a moomba once! But after all I taught him, the only  
he was able to say was...my name."  
  
There was complete silence.  
  
"But...it made me realize that words weren't that important..."  
  
"now where did that came from?" Kiros and Ward whispered at the same time.  
  
"...that sometimes by just looking at someone's face, we could tell what  
they want to say. By just seeing their actions, we could tell what they want  
... and sometimes by just looking at someone's eyes, we could tell how they  
feel....so...um....can't you just look at mine right now?"  
  
The wind blew.  
  
Kiros put his hand on his face.  
  
"I knew it would end somewhere..." Ward added to his reaction.  
  
Laguna, seeing just what he said, spoke again, "Um...NO! ... that's just  
a joke!!! ha ha ha! um.... what I'm trying to say is..."  
  
*POOF!*  
  
Selune's sensitive ears picked up the odd sound above all others.... her  
eyes picked up the odd movement of leaves by a certain tree.... "Sir  
Laguna! DUCK!!" she immediately shouted while running as fast as she could.  
  
"what?" Laguna turned to his side.  
  
A splatter of blood was seen...  
  
*POOF!*  
  
Selune's heart reced in her chest.  
  
Everybody were frozen on the spot, too shocked to move.  
  
Selune pushed the already falling Laguna further down...  
  
Another shower of blood was seen...  
  
Both bodies fell heavily on the stage...  
  
===  
  
The group of SeeDs watching were frozen in horror at what they saw...  
  
"Squall..." Quistis said as she truned.  
  
He was nowhere to be found...  
  
His seat was on the floor, along with other chairs...  
  
He was already on his way.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
END ^_^  
  
uh... sorry for the "*POOF!*" thingy. I really didn't know how to put the  
sound of a silent gun into words. "*POOF!*" was the closest thing that  
came into my mind ^_^; And about Laguna's speech, I say sorry again if  
it was corny. I'm not too good with humor but Laguna was getting too  
fluent and dramatic on his speech to be Laguna anymore. If I countinued  
with the drama and all, then it just wouldn't be Laguna right?....  
  
*Looks behind*  
  
*sees the character's whistling around... Squall, Selune and Laguna  
were nowhere to be found*  
  
*author sweatdrops*  
  
okay....^_^; that's just it for now!  
  
Jaa ne!! ^_^; 


	11. Chapter 10

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 10~  
  
"Squall!!" Sakura ran after him.  
  
"What?!" he shouted back.  
  
"I can help you get there faster!"  
  
Squall halted. "what?" he said in his normal voice.  
  
Sakura slowed down and halted in front of him. "I can help you get there faster!"  
she repeated.  
  
Squall just stared at her.  
  
"Hey! what's going on?" Zell said from behind, with the others following.  
  
"I've decided to help you." she said, loud enough for the whole group to hear, "I'm  
gonna use my magic to help you. But I can only bring two people with me. Squall and I  
are going so there's room for one more. Who's gonna go?"  
  
Zell raised a hand.  
  
"Okay, so Zell's gonna go with us. Everybody else will just have to take the train  
or something." she said as she pulled Zell closer to her and Squall. "ready guys?"  
she asked. the two people nodded. "OK! TELEPORT CARD COME FORTH, RELEASE AND DISPEL  
YOUR POWER!!!"  
  
Sakura stretched her hand upward and atop her hand appeared the Teleport Card which  
looked like a very complex pentagram. And just like the drawing on the card, a complex  
pentagram suddenly appeared underneath the trio and it shot a very bright white light  
upward, enlgulfing the three people. Once the light was gone, so was the pentagram and  
Squall, Zell and Sakura.  
  
"cool.." Selphie managed to say.  
  
===  
  
"I'm so sorry!!" Rinoa told Saehri, who was unconsciously lying on the hospital bed.  
  
A few minutes after the shooting, an immense light covered the shot people and suddenly,  
they disappeared. The people started to panic and shout but Kiros calmed them down, saying  
that the two were already in the hospital, being taken care of, since he found a small  
scribbled note on the spot where the two disappeared.  
  
Rinoa, Ellone, Ward and Kiros immediately went to the hospital to see Laguna's condition.  
When they got there, there was commotion all over the place, proof that Laguna had indeed  
been there. There they also found out that Laguna was still being operated on while Selune  
was in the Intensive Care Unit.  
  
"Don't worry Rinoa, she'll be fine. The doctor said that it was a close shot to the heart  
but she'll be fine, since the bullet was already removed." Ellone said, stroking her back.  
  
Rinoa's sobs only got louder. "It-it ....was m-my f-fault! *sob* I ... s-should *sob*  
h-ha-ve lis-*sob*-been alert!"  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, deep in Laguna's mind...  
  
"Uncle Laguna!!!" little Ellone ran to him.  
  
"Ellone!" he answered back.  
  
They were about to embrace when the beautiful scenery faded before him.  
  
All were black.  
  
"You shouldn't loose hope at such an early time." a voice said from behind.  
  
Laguna looked back and saw a beautiful woman clad in a white, Chinese garb with a beutiful  
China-doll face. Her long hair was even more blacker than the background and her deep,  
violet eyes shone brilliantly. Laguna recognized the way she dressed as one of the so-called  
"Chinese", a people of the old world, when the world was called "Earth".  
  
"Who are you?" Laguna asked.  
  
"you do not know me and I am not important or related to you." she anwered.  
  
Laguna then held out his hand. "May I know you?"  
  
The woman laughed a little. "I'm sorry. I must keep my identity secret."  
  
"Oh? well, I guess we can't do anything about it." he put his hand down.  
  
"Can you stay here a while?"   
  
"Stay? what for?" he asked, putting his hands akimbo.  
  
"Just stay. And promise me never to leave even if soemone call your name. Even me."  
  
"what for?" he asked again.  
  
The woman walked closer to him and held out her right hand's pinkie. "just promise."  
  
"what if you call me?"  
  
"I won't be calling you.." she said, "I'll be coming for you. But to make sure, if I  
caome to you, Ask me: who am I."  
  
"why should I do that?"  
  
"Someone might trick you into leaving this place. You don't want that to happen."  
  
"okay, so, what will you answer me?"  
  
"You'll know."  
  
"I'll know?" Laguna raised an eyebrow.  
  
"yes. So....promise?" she held her pinkie higher.  
  
Laguna smiled and hooked his right-hand pinkie onto hers. "Promise."  
  
With that, the woman disappeared."  
  
===  
  
Sakura, Squall and Zell arrived at the scene, only to find out that the people they  
have been looking for were gone.  
  
"what do we do now?" Sakura asked.  
  
"can you teleport us to the hospital here?" Squall asked.  
  
Sakura shook her head. "no can do. I can only go to places I've already seen. I could  
teleport you here because I saw it in T.V. ......but..." she paused a bit and thought.  
  
"but what?" Zell asked.  
  
"but if only the two of you go, you can."  
  
"how?" Squall stepped back a little and held his forehead.  
  
"imagine what the place look like. Imagine yourself there." Sakura simply answered.  
  
"okay. Let's go!" Squall shouted.  
  
"WAIT! how 'bout me?" Sakura pointed to herself.  
  
Squall and Zell both got the idea. She was a stranger, after all.  
  
"okay. Zell will stay with you and you two just follow by walking or something.... JUST  
SEND ME NOW!!" he said, it was obvious how urgent he was on getting there.  
  
"stand back." Sakura said. And she chanted:  
  
The key with power of stars!  
Show off the real magic power!  
I order you according to our agreement...  
to unseal......  
TELEPORT!!!!!  
  
As she chanted, everything around her became black and a pentagram appeared below her as  
a small key floated in between her raised hands. The key had a small star surrounded by a  
pink circlet and had small wings on each side as a head and had the body of a normal key.  
As the chanting contiued, the key started to become larger until it was half as tall as  
Sakura was. As she said the final word, the Teleport Card appeared before her, its back end  
facing her. Sakura pointed the wand at the card and the star (which had become larger)   
spinned in its circlet and the wings on each side expanded. Once again, a pentagram appeared  
below Squall and teleported him to his destination.  
  
"That should do it." Sakura said, lowering her wand. "shall we go?" she said, looking  
at the stunned Zell.  
  
Zell just nodded and left.  
  
"weird." Sakura murmured to herself.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
END  
  
I hope you like that chapter. As for Laguna, I still haven't decided if he'll  
live or die. I still don't know as of yet.  
  
*a guy shouting "WHAT?!" is heard far away*  
  
^_^; that's all for now....Jaa ne!! 


	12. Chapter 11

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 11~  
  
"This place is HUGE!!!" Sakura said as she was toured around the place.  
  
Zell smiled. "This is the largest and most high-tech city around!"  
  
"who's building is that?" she asked, pointing to a large buiding right  
across the street they were walking on.  
  
"oh that? that's the president's building."  
  
"I see...can I ask you something?"  
  
Zell looked at her oddly. He had already shown her and explained to her  
everything about Esthar. "what is it?"  
  
"how come Squall was in such a jiffy when President Laguna was assasinated?"  
Sakura asked, looking deep into Zell's blue eyes.  
  
"Because Sir Laguna is Squall's father."  
  
There was silence.  
  
Sakura looked back at the path that they were walking. "oh..."  
  
Zell thought,   
  
Just as they were walking, Sakura stopped.  
  
"what's the matter?" Zell asked.  
  
Sakura looked at him. "THE PRESIDENT OF ESTHAR IS HIS FATHER?!?!?!!?" she  
shouted.  
  
he thought. "yeah. And if you're gonna ask why he's  
working as a mercenary and living in Balamb, its because he grew up there  
and wanted to stay there and be a workaholic....y'know those type of people"   
  
"I see....he's such an oddball though." Sakura started walking again.  
  
"I know." Zell added.  
  
===  
  
Squall arrived in the hospital, right beside Rinoa.   
  
"Rinoa..." he started saying, but when Rinoa looked at him - she was crying  
and that look made Squall stop.  
  
"oh Squall!" she said, burying herself in his arms. "It's all my fault!"  
  
"Squall! since when did you arrive here?" Ward asked.  
  
"just a minute ago....." he said, then stopped.   
he then looked at Ward, who was smiling at him. "Ward.....you can..."  
  
"talk?" he asked. "yeah. Thanks to Ruriko."   
  
"Ruriko? you mean that girl from another dimension?" Squall said.  
  
Ward nodded.  
  
Just then, Ellone came and saw Squall. There was the usual hi and hello.  
"Squall, can you help Rinoa? she's so down and kept saying that it's all  
her fault. Whatever we say to her don't work. It is as if she's deaf to  
all that we say."  
  
Squall nodded and looked at the crying Rinoa in his arms. "Rinoa...."  
  
There was no reply.  
  
Squall noticed then that he was carrying her full weight. He then carried  
her in his arms and that's when they all noticed it.... Rinoa....her skin,  
so pale....her lips blue.....unmoving.....  
  
lifeless.  
  
===  
  
"Quistis, won't we go to this Esthar continent?" Ruriko asked.  
  
Quistis looked at her. "I don't know. We don't have the Ragnarok here  
and the Garden is re-implanted on the ground so we can't ho unless we  
go by train"  
  
"re-implanted?" Shun asked, who was walking behind Ruriko.  
  
"yes. The Garden is a vehicle as well as a building. During the second  
sorceress wars, We discovered that the Garden was a vehicle that can   
cross land and water except mountains. After the war, we learned how to  
re-implant the Garden and decided to re-implant it." she explained.  
  
Ruriko looked around her. "This is such an amazing building..."  
  
"I know." Irvine said, walking towards them. "hi!"  
  
They all smiled at him.  
  
"what's up?" he asked.  
  
"nothing much. But we're planning to go to Esthar." Quistis replied.  
  
"'bout the president huh?" he said.  
  
They all nodded.  
  
"why don't you use the Ragnarok?" Selphie suddenly came, creeping behind  
Irvine which almost made him jump.  
  
"It's not here..." Ruriko said.  
  
"oh? but it is!" Selphie said, "I saw it just this morning."  
  
"Impossble! Rinoa and Selune took it going to Esthar." Quistis said,  
shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
"I took it back." a voice from behind them said.  
  
"what?" they all said.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
END 


	13. Chapter 12

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 12~  
  
"I can't believe it!" Quistis shouted in frustration. "YOU cannot have  
done that!" she shouted at Selphie.  
  
Selphie looked at her oddly. "who said I did? I'm as puzzled as you are."  
  
"Yukino!" Shun shouted.  
  
Everyone looked behind Quistis and there they saw the little girl in a  
white kimono, looking as calm and placid as before.  
  
"how...?" was all that Quistis could manage to say.  
  
Shun scratched his head while Ruriko smiled silly. "It's quite hard to  
explain." they both said.  
  
Irvine looked at the two and started walking towards the entrance, where  
they saw the Ragnarok. "then why don't you all just explain while we fly?"  
  
They all nodded in agreement.  
  
===  
  
Zell and Sakura walked all the way to the hospital. But, the hospital  
wasn't even near the park.  
  
"I'm really sorry Zell, to have you walk like this. I just really want  
to see the scenery..." Sakura apologized, smiling sweetly at him.  
  
Her smile made Zell's heart leap. "u--h....t-that's nothi-ng..." he  
stammered.  
  
"anything wrong?"  
  
"n-nothing! nothing at all! just look at the wonderful scenery....maybe  
next time I'll show you to the Undersea Research Lab. It's really cool!"  
  
Sakura's emerald eyes gleamed with excitement. "I just can't wait!"  
  
==  
  
Squall paced back and forth in front of the room where Rinoa was staying.  
He can't belive what had just happened these days: His father just got  
shot, Selune - a fellow SeeD - was shot as well, and now, Rinoa just faints  
and falls into a coma and they were all in the ICU. Squall looked around him  
and saw Ellone. "Sis, don't tell me that you're going next..?"  
  
Ellone smiled at him reassuringly. "I won't. I promise."  
  
"Squall, take a break. I know that you're tired and all." Ward said.  
  
"we know that you're worried about your father and lover....and so are we.  
You need a break." Kiros added.  
  
Squall just turned his back on them and started to pace again.  
  
Sighing, Ellone approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, making him  
stop all his pacing. "Squall, you're my little brother and I don't want to  
to get sick and follow them in the ICU. Please rest. You haven't rested from  
all your worrying..."  
  
Squall looked deep into Ellone's brown eyes and sighed.... and left.  
  
===  
  
"Rinoa!" Laguna said, surprised to see Rinoa there.  
  
Rinoa, who was surprised as well, ran to him and embraced him. "OH! Sir  
Laguna! I was so worried! I'm so sorry!!"  
  
"whatever for?"  
  
Rinoa broke her embrace and looked down. "I'm the reason that you got shot."  
  
"don't be too hard on yourself dearie." a voice said.  
  
Laguna looked around and saw again, the woman in white. "you're back."  
  
"yes. It seems that we have company."  
  
Still confused, Rinoa couldn't help but ask a question, "you know her?"  
  
"just lately." Laguna answered, scratching his head.  
  
"I won't be long I'm just here to tell something to our new guest."  
  
Laguna raised and eyebrow. "The same thing you told me?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"what's that?" Rinoa inquired.  
  
"just listen." Laguna told her.  
  
===  
  
After a few more minutes of walking, Zell and Sakura took a break by sitting  
on the side of a wide street.  
  
"here, have a drink." Zell said, offering his bottle of cool water.  
  
Sakura, too tired to talk, took the bottle and drank from it.... and almost  
finished up the whole bottle. "thanks."  
  
Zell took the empty bottle and put it in his pocket. "uhh... no problem!"  
  
It was now evening and the setting sun was within their view. The beautiful  
colors or pinks, oranges, yellows and violets were mixed in the sky and was  
like a beautiful painting on a huge canvas. Looking at Sakura, her sparkling  
green eyes contrasted to the color of her now rosy cheeks. (She looks so...  
beautiful...) Zell thought. And what a sight she really was! especially  
under the glow of the setting sun.  
  
Sakura felt Zell's intense stare and looked deep into his blue eyes. "are  
you OK?"  
  
Zell looked away immediately and scratched his head. "n-no! It's just that  
the setting sun is so beautiful!" he said, and if it wasn't for the colors  
of the evening sky, Sakura might have seen how furiously Zell's face flushed.  
  
Looking at the sky, Sakura remembers Syaoran.... their times together....  
his laughter... his amber eyes... (the sky...) she thought, (It was just  
like this... when he...)  
  
  
~FLASHBACK~  
  
It was December.  
  
The land was stained with the colors of snow...and blood.  
  
Then suddenly....  
  
She saw him, his dess in no better condition than hers, covered in  
his own blood. Sakura ran to his side, putting his head on her lap.  
"Syaoran..." she whispers, "...please wake up. You're the only one  
left, don't leave me."  
  
No answer.  
  
Sakura's eyes stung as warm tears filled her eyes. Her vision   
blurred and she closed her eyes tightly, causing her tears to fall.  
With her eyes still closed, she willed her tears away only to find  
out that the more she willed it away, the more her tears gushed   
from her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand brush against her  
cheeks, wiping her tears away. She opened her eyes to see a pair  
of amber eyes staring deeply into hers.  
  
"D-don't....cry...s-sakura..." he managed to say.  
  
"Syaoran! you're OK!!" she said, a feeling of hope rising within  
her, "stay still, I'll heal you..."  
  
Sakura was putting her palm on Syaoran's forehead when he put  
his hand over hers, moved her hand on his cheek and stopped her.  
"no sakura... I can feel it... it's no...use..." he gently said,  
tears building up in his eyes.  
  
There was silence.  
  
~END~  
  
"Sakura? Sakura? Are you okay?" Zell's voice snapped her from her  
falshback.  
  
She just nodded.  
  
"are you sure? you're crying..." Zell worriedly said.  
  
Sakura went speechless as she felt a tear roll form her eye.  
"I-t's nothing.... I.....I just remembered something..."  
  
Noticing how heavy her heart was, Zell embraced her and caressed  
her back gently, surprising the already surprised Sakura. "I know  
that there's something painful in you heart. I can see it so clearly  
in your eyes.... they're so sad. So, if you wan't to cry and have  
a shoulder to lean on, you can tell me...."  
  
Before Zell could even finish, Sakura buried herself in his warm  
embrace and cried, bringing all her sadness out.   
  
Zell was enjoying the moment when something echoed in his head...  
  
(the monster that your family has hidden all these years will come alive..)  
  
(what?) he thought.  
  
Feeling the sudden intrusion in Zell's mind, Sakura looked at Zell's  
eyes, which were looking at blank space. "Zell?"  
  
"what?" he said, shaking his head. He let go of Sakura and shook his  
head a bit more. "I-i'm sorry", he finally said.  
  
Sakura wiped the trails of tears that crossed her cheek and smiled.  
"It's ok. Thank you Zell."  
  
"for what?"  
  
"for .... comforting me.... for being a friend.."  
  
Zell smiled the most sincerest smile that he has ever done in years.  
"no problem. well, shall we go?"  
  
"sure!"  
  
===  
  
  
END  
  
sorry for the short chapter. It's our finals and we've got a ton of  
projects so I have't had the proper schedule of time for my works.  
Soooo Sorry!!!  
  
Please Reveiw ^_^  
  
Jaa ne!! 


	14. Chapter 13

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 13~  
  
Sakura and Zell arrived only to find the whole group in the hospital  
mourning. Everybody was sad as hell. Especially Squall.  
  
"wha- what happened?" Zell asked.  
  
Kiros, who seemed the only one composed, spoke in a grave tone.  
"Selune's okay but....Laguna and Rinoa..."  
  
"wait!" Sakura interrupted, "Laguna AND RINOA?"  
  
"Doctors say that she underwent nervous breakdown and gradually became  
comatosed...." Kiros explained.  
  
"so you mean?" Zell asked.  
  
"They are both in critical and doctors say they can't do any good..."  
Kiros looked down and sniffed, then composed himself again.  
  
"Bring them back to the Garden" Sakura said.  
  
"W-what?" Ellone suddenly spoke up, "Uncle Laguna and Rinoa are about  
to die and YOU want them to go BACK....TO THE GARDEN?" she stepped  
close to Sakura, who was a few inches shorter, then ran to Kiros and  
cried openly.  
  
Sakura's emerald eyes were saddened. "I know it will be hard for you  
to understand but I can heal them there better...especially with  
Ruriko around."  
  
Ward, who was sitting by a bench beside them and looking at the floor,  
studdenly looked up. "yeah! Ruriko! she can help us! If she can cure  
my muteness, then..."  
  
"NO!" Ellone shouted, "they might DIE along the way!! and ... Uncle  
Laguna's condition is FAR WORSE than what you HAD!!!"  
  
Ward was shocked by her words and was taken aback.   
  
Kiros looked at his friend, asking him to understand. Ward gave a nod  
and Kiros said a silent 'thanks'.   
  
"What are your plans, Sakura?" Zell asked Sakura, whispering.  
  
"I can heal them... I just know it. I'm not gonna let them die!" she  
answered.  
  
===  
  
"There's the hospital!" Quistis shouted as they ran through the streets.  
  
Inside the hospital, they immediately went to the information table and  
followed the instructions the nurse told them. When they got to the waiting  
room beside the Intensive Care Unit, they felt the heaviness of the air.  
  
"RURIKO!!" Sakura greeted, "you're just in time!"  
  
"in time for what?" she asked.  
  
"no time to explain. Let's go!" Sakura said as she grabbed Ruriko's   
wrist and pulled her towards the ICU door.  
  
Kiros looked at them and shouted, "what the heck are you doing? it's  
off limits there!"  
  
"We're gonna save the two people we all cherish!" Sakura shouted back,  
making Squall turn and look up, his eyes all reddened, and follow them.  
  
the other people who were left outside were just too stunned to move.  
  
  
The doctors were all shouting when the trio got in, telling them to  
get out. But Sakura knew better.  
  
"Ruriko, I need your healing powers on Rinoa. I'll handle Laguna."  
Sakura instructed.  
  
Understanding the whole situation, Ruriko did as told and went over to  
Rinoa's bed. "hold on Rinoa.... OPEN GATE!!!!" Ruriko held out her hand  
before her and two circles of golden yellow appeared before it. The  
doctors who were planning to stop her were frozen on the spot. "Healing  
Light!!!" the gate widened and small yellow balls of light came out  
from the gate and fused in Rinoa's body making her glow.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Sakura had already summoned her staff and had already summoned the Heal  
card. Again, the fairy nurse reappeared and became a ball of light that  
entered Laguna's body. Just as immediately, his body glowed white.   
  
As all of those things happened, the doctors and nurses that were there  
were just awe-struck. Squall, on the other hand, couldn't belive what he  
was seeing. Two complete strangers were inside the ICU of the two people  
he loved the most and was using unknown magics to heal them.  
  
He watched in silence as the two ended their enchantments.  
  
===  
  
"You're being called." the lady in white told her two companions. "I guess  
it would be futile to keep you two here."  
  
"what?" Rinoa asked. "I can hear someone call my name but it's very faint."  
  
"just go to them... hear them call... do not resist. It was nice chatting  
with you two.." the woman said as she slowly disappeared.  
  
Laguna heard calls for him but shut it out for a while as he saw the woman  
disappear. (do not shut them out) the woman's voice echoed in his mind and  
Laguna let the calls flood his mind and suddenly, he felt light-headded and  
suddenly, he felt good.  
  
He felt alive.  
  
===  
  
"there is still so much for those two to learn." a stranger who was scrying  
through a crystal ball, all cloaked, said as it watched the goup of people  
in the hosptal.  
  
Slowly, the cloaked figure moved away from the scrying ball and towards a  
small table filled with odd-shaped bottles that contained liquids of different  
colors.  
  
"they are developing too slow." it said, a pale hand searching carefully  
across the myriad of bottles. "this one...should speed it up a bit" and  
she picked up a small, circular bottle with a crystalline stopper. It  
contained a pinkish liquid wich gave off a light pink glow.  
  
"you will never escape me, my dear prince!" it said, laughing as it turned  
to look back at the scrying ball which showed the face of a young blonde  
man, with blue eyes and a distinguishing tattoo on his face...  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END 


	15. Chapter 14

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 14~  
  
Laguna and Rinoa eventually recovered and after a few days were  
awake and feeling fine. The others knew of this and felt better  
as well. For the rest of the week, the people of Esthar celebrated  
for the return of the president and the hunt for the assasin was  
left to the Forensics Guild of the SeeD command, of which the already  
healen Selune was a part of.  
  
Everything around the Garden and Esthar started to settle down as the  
story about the assasination died down. All was at peace and was fine.  
By the end of the third week, everything was almost forgotten.  
  
"how's the investigation coming?" Squall asked Selune.  
  
Selune was in charge of the investigation because of her involvement  
and her very persuasive arguments about letting her be in-charge of  
the said case.  
  
Selune looked up from the papers that she was working at. "Nothing  
much so far." she told him, placing her hand on her forehead.  
  
Squall sighed at the disappointing revelation.  
  
"there wasn't much evidence or trail left. It's easily said that he  
was no ordinary assasin." she continued, standing from her chair.  
  
Squall smiled. "thanks Selune. Do your best to catch the culprit -  
I know that you could do it... I trust in you."  
  
Selune gave her a reassuring smile.  
  
===  
  
Zell was in the cafeteria, eating hi chili-n'-cheese hotdog, when  
he saw a raven-haired girl looking for a place to sit down. Then,  
she saw the empty seat across Zell.  
  
"can I sit here?" she asked.  
  
"sure."  
  
She sat down and smiled at him. "I heard what happened there back  
at Esthar.... I guess president Laguna would be dead if you hadn't  
brought the healer with you" she said, referring to Sakura as 'the  
healer'.  
  
He swollowed a bite and smiled. "heheheh... not really you know.  
We were really planning to go to the hospital even before."  
  
"you're too humble."  
  
"what's your name? you seem to know me but I not." he said.  
  
The girl's eyes widened in surprise. Feinting a dissapointed look,  
she said, "you already forgot?"  
  
"have we met before?"  
  
She frowned. "in front of your room, awakening from a deep sleep.  
does that ring a bell?"  
  
*awakening.... room....* he thought then paused. "Saehri Clow?"  
  
Saehri brightened up and smiled. "yeah! I'm glad you remembered!"  
  
At the sudden remembering, Zell felt a sudden thirst. Scratching  
his throat, he put his hotdog down.  
  
"anything wrong?" she asked.  
  
Zell nodded his head. "thirsty." As he was going to line up for  
some refreshments, Zell saw the HUGE line for the water. "oh no.."  
  
"here." Saehri said, "I always bring my own water you know."  
  
"thanks." came his husky reply. After drinking, he finished his  
hotdog and yawned. "I'm going back to my room. later!" he said  
as he waved bye-bye.  
  
"later!" she waved back.  
  
  
Walking down the path towards the dormitory, he met up with...  
Selune.  
  
she smiled at him. "savior of the day, eh, blondie?"  
  
"shu'up!" he replied.  
  
"Is that a way to say thanks for a compliment?" she asked.  
  
Zell rolled his eyes and sighed. "watever!"  
  
As he was about to leave, Selune put a hand on his shoulder.  
He suddenly felt warm and it was as if something was being  
poured into his body and now coursing through his veins.  
"WHAT!?!?"  
  
She smiled sincerely. "go to sleep man."  
  
===  
  
Sakura walked about the gardens in the quad. She was thinkning  
very deeply to even stop and appreciate the flowers. She had   
been sensing cards lately, different than what she already had.  
It was not like the card was causing trouble, in fact, it felt  
like someone had already owned them. Looking at the past happenings,  
suspicions popped into her mind.   
  
*has the cards got something to do with this?* she thought, sighing.  
There was really not much evidence of the person and it might be  
possible that a card was used. But, her senses were super sensitive  
that even if she was just watching the card do havoc on TV, she could  
already sense it. But still, she didn't sense anything odd while  
she was watching the president on TV.  
  
As she thought more deeply, she remembered Tomoyo. *oh Tomoyo...  
I wish you were here... maybe I'd have some clue to what was happening  
....you were always helping me out with mysteries...*  
  
Suddenly, she felt it again....a clow card...  
  
"hello card mistress..."  
  
Sakura turned about, looking for the source of the voice, eyes  
wide in surprise. Nobody knew about card mistresses here, and  
all the people she knew that knows about the card mistress thing  
were busy.  
  
She then felt a hand cover her mouth with a handkerchief, the  
hankie smelling funny. She knew she was being put to sleep.  
  
"I'll make sure that the prince will long for you..."  
  
She heard the voice say, before drifting off to sleep.  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END 


	16. Chapter 15

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Rhys Icewind  
  
~Chapter 15~  
  
"she's gone!!" Ruriko suddenly shouted.  
  
"who's gone?" a puzzled Quistis asked.  
  
"Sakura!"  
  
===  
  
After 2 days of searching, they still couldn't find Sakura. Nobody  
had seen her except for some students who said that they last saw  
Sakura by the Quad. Searching in her room, ther were no fingerprints  
nor signs of struggle.  
  
A real mystery.  
  
"another job for the Forensics, I guess." Zell said.  
  
Selune was there in her office with Squall, Zell, Ruriko, Shun and  
Yukino. To most of the people who knew Zell very well, it seemed like  
he was the one who was devastated by her loss.  
  
Selune looked at him. "Sounds like another head ache... we're still  
not through the last case and here come another one..."  
  
"you can leave that case to other investigators...can't you???" Ruriko  
pleaded.  
  
"NO! I'm gonna get the guy who shot me and who planned that stupid  
assasination plan!!!" she shouted.  
  
"take it easy, Selune..." Squall said.  
  
Selune sighed and sat down her chair again. Most of them inside the room  
already thought that it was hopeless. Except for Ruriko, Shun, Yukino and  
Zell.  
  
===  
  
As he walked along the path towards the Quad, Zell thought that he heard  
a shouting sound coming from somewhere. As he ran towards the Quad he saw  
a bright light from behind a tree. Going behind it, he saw a woman in a  
red and gold Chinese garb with long, black hair.   
  
"w-who are you?!?!" Zell asked.  
  
"no one you would know, I guess.." she smiled at him.  
  
zell stanced himself and held his fists up in defense. "WHO ARE YOU?!?"  
  
She looked at him with piercing violet eyes. "you do not need to know..  
I know your delimma dear boy..."  
  
Zell's eyes went wide in shock. "did you..... kidnap Sakura?!?!"  
  
She suddenly chuckled. "no! .... I surely did not.... why should I?"  
  
"how should I know that?"  
  
The woman chuckled again. "do not worry.. I'll help you... under one  
condition.."  
  
"anything!!" he shouted.  
  
the woman went closer to him and whispered something in his ear. Zell  
was speechless.  
  
"too much..." he mumbled.  
  
==  
  
In another void, another woman looking the same from head to toe saw  
what had happened between the two. The staff that she held broke into  
two in her anger. Suddenly, she raised a hand. On it, appeared a card  
with a sword bounded in chains drawn on it. Suddenly, the card disappeared  
and in her hand, she held a wicked looking sword.  
  
"I'm not going to let you get away this time.."  
  
And suddenly, she disappeared.  
  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END  
  
sorry for the _VERY_ short chapter. I was very busy with my cousins around.  
I'll make it better next time. ... gomen ... 


	17. Chapter 16

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 16~  
  
Zell was about to make the decicion that would change his life:  
  
Let himself live or let Sakura die.  
  
"So, what will it be now?" the woman said, "you or Sakura?"  
  
'her life is more important than yours!' a voice in his mind  
shouted out.  
  
''are you sure? she's just a stranger that you've fallen for''  
another voice said.  
  
"what will it be?"  
  
  
Meanwhile... Ruriko, Shun, Yukino and Squall were walking along  
the corridors when Yukino suddenly stopped.  
  
"what's the matter Yukino?" Ruriko asked.  
  
Yukino was looking at the entrance to the Quad and was really   
concentrated into doing this and seemed to not have heard her.  
The little girl just kept on being silent and suddenly waled towards  
the entrance.  
  
Shun and Squall stared at each other.  
  
"what's up with her?" Squall asked.  
  
Shun turned away and continued walking. "she's like that all the  
time, you know, acting weird."  
  
Ruriko shushed him. "She doesn't act THAT weird!" she told him,  
"I think she's on to something!" and Ruriko went after her Yukino.  
  
Squall looked at Shun, who just shrugged, and the two of them went  
after Ruriko and Yukino.  
  
  
Zell criss-crossed along the pavement deciding. (such a hard choice!)  
he thought. Choosing between his life and hers wasn't as easy as it  
would seem. Whenever Sakura was around, or even if she wasn't, he felt  
a certain nugging in his chest telling him to protect her. It was like  
they had met before, in a different lifetime. But now, deep inside him,  
something told him that Sakura would be in more danger if he'd die.  
  
"faster fool!" she urged him.  
  
"hey! its not easy! .... you know about her disappearance and you just  
pop from who-knows-where telling me that she'd be safe if you kill me  
..... now how can I be sure about that??" he asked, eyebrow raised.  
  
The woman sighed in frustration. "then, you have a contract" she said,  
bringing out a parchment, "I'll sign it. Look. now, do you agree?"  
  
"I...."  
  
Snow started to rain.  
  
"what the-?" Zell said.  
  
The woman's fair face became bent in anger. "you're slow to speak, fool!"  
  
"beware, the unweary, the smile from a shady face; for something vile runs  
beneath." a soft, wise voice said from behind Zell.  
  
Zell looked behind him and to his surprise, saw..."yukino?"  
  
"we shall meet again, dear prince. But your hindrance will cause her pain."  
the woman said before she left.  
  
After she left, the snow immediately halted.  
  
"who was that, Zell?" Ruriko asked, arriving just before the woman left.  
  
Zell looked at her with a disappointed look. "I don't know..." then looked  
at Yukino, "yukino, how did you know I was here?... we were so silent....  
I mean, we were not that noisy. But,you seem to know what had been going on."  
  
Yukino kept silent and instead, pointed away towards a corner.  
  
Someone was standing there.  
  
"oi, blondie..."  
  
Shun and Squall just kept silent, knowing nothing of what had happened and  
had not seen the woman, staring questionably at everybody.  
  
Zell's eyes widened. "Selune...."  
  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END 


	18. Chapter 17

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 17~  
  
Selune was wounded and tired and on her hand she held a bloody  
sword.  
  
Ruriko ran immediately to her side. "are you okay?" she asked.  
  
Selune smiled at her. "I'm alright, keeper of light."  
  
At those words, Ruriko froze. The others were surprised as well.  
Ruriko had only met Selune after the planned assasination of the  
president and had not told her anything about her powers. "h-how?"  
  
Selune smiled once again. "I must stop the facade. I am weary and  
tired and my powers are only starting to return." she paused, then  
stood erect. Her whole body shone and gave off a glow that pulsated.  
To them, it seemed that she was shedding old skin as Selune's image  
melted away. When all the light show halted and all could see better  
again, the were held in awe. In the place where blue-eyed Selune  
was stood a woman with a stature that made you want to kneel down  
with respect. She looked just like the woman that had appeared to  
Zell but different. Zell couldn't explain where they were different,  
though.  
  
"YOU!!" Zell said with anger, "you..."  
  
She shot a glance at him with her deep purple eyes. Zell shut up  
immediately. "I am not the person whom you have seen earlier. She  
is a doppleganger."  
  
"a doppleganger?" Squall echoed.  
  
"yes. She imitated me to make you think that I was bad. she even  
used my name." the woman soke with anger.  
  
"what IS your name?" Shun said. Ruriko gave him a reprimanding look.  
  
"I am Saehri Clow. Not the one that you know of, mind you, but the  
real one."  
  
"how can I be sure that you are the REAL one?" Zell asked.  
  
Saehri smiled. "I have brought fouth that which you have seeked."  
she snapped a finger and the sleeping form of Sakura came, floating  
off a few handspans off the ground.  
  
"Sakura!!" they all shouted. Ruriko, who was the nearest person,  
embraced her at once and she awoke.  
  
"w-what happened?" she asked, standing up. Her feet touched the  
gound as the magic that held her slowly faded away.  
  
Zell answered her with a smile on his face, "you were kidnapped...  
I guess. But you're back and safe now and that's what's important!"  
  
Sakura blushed a little from the sight of him.  
  
"come!" Saehri said, "to my room - Selune's room - we shall go.  
There is much to be said and explained."  
  
"agreed." Shun said.  
  
All were starting to walk off when they heard a soft "thud".  
  
"Saehri!" Sakura shouted.  
  
Saehri had fallen to the ground, unconscious.  
  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END 


	19. Chapter 18

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
**thank you for reading this fic!!! =D especially those who gave their review!!!**  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 18~  
  
As soon as they had fixed Saehri "Selune" Clow, the others talked  
while they waited for their tired frend to wake up.  
  
"Sakura, can you tell us what happened to you?" Ruriko asked.  
  
Sakura stopped looking at Saehri's face and sighed. "well, all I  
can remember is that I was walking along the Quad, just resting my  
mind, when a hankie was placed atop my face and then.... nothing.  
I don't remember anything after that."  
  
"Well, as soon as Selu - I mean - Saehri here wakes up, I'm sure  
she'll explain everything." says Zell.  
  
"and explain I will." Saehri said.  
  
All turned around to see that Saehri was already sitted erect on  
her bed.  
  
"are you sure you're ok?" Sakura asked.  
  
Saehri smiled at her. "I'm quite alright, Card mistress."  
  
"well then, you can start explaining." Squall suddenly spoke up,  
startling everyone.  
  
"Alright," Saehri said, "let me start. I'm Saehri Clow, as you all  
know, and I am Reed Clow also known as Clow Reed's twin sister."  
  
"so that's why!" Sakura suddenly interrupted, "you look exactly like  
him!... but of course in a more feminine way."  
  
"who's Clow Reed?" Squall asked.  
  
"Clow Reed is the creator of the Clow Cards. I'm sure you know all  
about the cards by now, right?" All nodded. "Good. You see, when Reed  
and I were little, maybe about four or five, we started to serve the  
Ryu Dynasty. At that time, not even your parents were born."   
  
"wait a sec. how come..." shun started to say.  
  
"I'm still alive? if all of you would stop interrupting, I'll get to  
that." she said. Shun shut up and pouted. "well then, if I may continue,  
my brother and I served the Ryu Dynasty. As you all know, twins are  
supposed to be born on the same day - but we were not like that. My birth  
was magically delayed to hide the fact that we were truly twins. So, he  
was older than me by a year.  
When we were old enough, we were both sent to the imperial palace. Our  
father and our mother both died that day as well, so we didn't have much  
choice. So we served the palace as royal guards. Why? you might ask? it  
was because when we were still in out mother's womb, a very powerful  
fortune-teller told the Emperor about the power that we yeilded and told  
him that it would be very helpful to the dynasty and to the Empress, who  
didn't bear any child at all. So, the fortune-teller pointed out where we  
were and our parents were taken very good care.   
Many years came and the Empress did not bear any child. As to comfort her,  
Reed and I became her 'foster' children. We also served as a bodyguard -  
protecting her from evil forces and herself. She tried to kill herself many  
times because of her womb being barren, telling that she was no use to the  
Emperor - even if the Emperor told her that he loved her time and time again.  
It was a good thing that we were there.  
One summer day, an enlightening news came: the Empress was pregnant. A  
year later, she gave birth to a health young boy. They named him Huan-Lang  
- meaning Phantom wolf.   
Unfortunately, not all people wanted the prince. There was one, and her  
name was Yoe. She was the Emperor's councilor and adviser and she also  
served as the palace witch, though she peferred to be called sorceress.  
The reason as to why she didn't want to have the prince is that the Emperor  
will now have and heir to the throne. Before, thinking that he'll never  
have an heir, he wrote in his will the Yoe will be next in line to rule.  
The Emperor didn't know her dark side and so she was happy. But all that  
changed when Prince Huan-Lang was born."  
  
Saehri paused for a while. On her face, pain was clearly seen.  
  
"it must have been a very awful memory..." Ruriko said.  
  
Saehri cleared her throat and nodded. "indeed. But the worst is yet to  
come. One night, I saw Yoe creep to the baby's room. I immediately informed  
the Empress and she awoke. I gave her a small amount of my power, knowing  
that a chase was sure to follow. The Empress and I parted ways as I still  
had to wake Reed. When we went to follow the Empress, the chase was on.  
The two of us followed their aura and we ended up on a spaceous field.  
Knowing that the baby had no hope of surviving there, my brother advised  
the Empress to make a portal of escape for the baby.  
While my brother and the Empress did the rituals to open the portal, I  
battled with Yoe. It was a hard battle, but I was on the winning side.  
But then, Lady Luck wasn't smiling at us. When the baby was already going  
to safety, yoe had been able to curse the child before I finished her life."  
  
Saehri's voice faltered. The hatred and pain was evident in all her facial  
features, especially her voice.  
  
" ...the Empress grieved and she died after a week. At the loss of both his  
loved ones, the Emperor died after a month of the Empress' death - and that  
was the end of the Ryu Dynasty. My brother and I left the city and travelled  
on to the world. We grew older in age, knowledge and power. Soon, my brother  
created the Clow Cards of Light and I of the Dark. When I had completed my deck,  
the card I called Vision, gave me a vision that I would be able to find the  
prince and maybe save him ...someday. So, reminiscing the death of my beloved  
second mother, I cursed myself that I shall not die until I had found the prince  
and removed the curse on his body........that is why I am still alive today."  
she finished with a big breath of air.  
  
All who listened now looked at this woman with newfound respect. She had  
suffered greater than any of them and had gained the knowledge one would not  
be able to learn in one lifetime.  
  
"tell me," Sakura was the first to speak, "tell me about the Clow Cards of  
Dark."  
  
Saehri smiled at her. "Card mistress, the story goes like this: It was one  
sunny day when we learned how to use the Tarot Cards. We were awed by it and  
decided to make our own - but with a different twist. It would not be used to  
tell fortunes or the future, but it will be filled with the power of the  
elements... or even more.  
We were still young then, so we waited until we grew up. We then travelled  
the world, capturing dieties of different sorts. You see, dieties and faeries  
have two kinds: one who come out at light, and one who comes out at night. We  
drew lots and I ended up capturing the ones that come at night. But they were  
not evil. Just more wild and fierce. You can say that only ones with greater  
power can yeild it. But do not be mistaken, that does not mean that my deck  
was stronger and more powerful than my brothers cause it is not. The powers of  
the cards rely on the strength of the hand that yeild it."  
  
All were silent again.  
  
"wait..." Zell suddenly said, "you're talking 'bout cards now, what about the  
prince? don't you think he'd be dead by now?"  
  
Saehri looked at him thoughtfully. "No. The portal my brother used was inter  
-dimensional and time-travelling. It has sent the baby to the future(for my  
brother never used time portals that travelled backwards) and to another  
dimension. So, he is still alive."  
  
Squall stepped out of the shadows from the corner where he was standing and  
spoke, "what makes you think that?"  
  
"I think that because I have already found him and is now within the walls of  
this room." she said, not removing her eyes from Zell.  
  
Shun followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the tatooed blonde.  
"Zell?" he said.  
  
All(except Saehri & Zell, as he was locked by Saehri's eyes.) first stared at  
him, then to Saehri, then to Zell.  
  
"me???" Zell said in surprise, "you must be kidding! my name ain't no Huan  
-whatever and is sure ain't Phantom wolf!."  
  
"would you like to know the name she screamed when the child disappeared?"  
Saehri asked.  
  
Zell nodded, though he was too afraid of the answer.  
  
"Zell"  
  
All eyes fell on Zell.  
  
  
_________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END 


	20. Chapter 19

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 19~  
  
"don't stare at me like that!!" Zell shouted at them, waving his  
hands infront of him.  
  
"who wouldn't after a surprise like that?" Saehri said, smiling.  
  
Zell frowned at her, "how can you be so sure? a name like Zell  
couldn't exist in the past of some different dimension!!"  
  
This time, Saehri stood up to her full height. She walked towards  
Zell and smirked. "I could guess that I could have told you the  
story of my life before you believe me." She turned around and faced  
the wall. "It came to me in a dream. I saw you, golden haired and  
blue-eyed, running along the grassy field. Suddenly, a voice called  
you... 'Zell!' it shouted. I ignored it but then you responded to it"  
she paused then looked at Zell again, "I told the Empress that and  
ever since then, she kept on calling you Zell instead of Huan-Lang"  
  
"an unlikely story." Zell countered.  
  
"ha!" Saehri suddenly shouted, surprising the others, "so stubborn!  
I'm here to save you life and this is what you do. But if you won't  
help me help you, just do me a favor will ya? don't fall in love."  
she said and disappeared in a flash of light.  
  
There was silence.  
  
"what a horrid dream!" zell exclaimed.  
  
"I think not." Sakura said, picking up something from the floor,   
"I think not."  
  
In her hand was a card that looked like one of Sakura's brown and  
gold Clow Cards except that it was blue and silver. There, was drawn  
a sun and below it, the moon and in between were three stars and it  
was surrounded by sparkles. Below it, was named: "The Vision"  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
END  
  
  
well, this is the shortest chapter I've ever done. I had some mental  
shortbacks and couldn't write any further. I'll make it up on the  
next chapter I swear!!  
  
Jaa ne! 


	21. Chapter 20

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
legend:  
(...) thoughts   
*....* specific action while speaking  
=== another place, dimension, time, group of people...etc.  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 20~  
  
For the following days, Zell walked about the hallways as if he was  
dream walking. He was always down and the old happy Zell was obviously  
gone.  
  
To those who knew, they tried to comfort him into waking up. He was  
still in the state in shock.  
  
Who wouldn't? after finding out that you're from some ancient time  
and don't actually live in the place you called home,you're sure to  
be surprised.  
  
For Zell in was not only that. After Saehri had appeared once to retrive  
the card she "accidentally" left behind, odd dreams have been pouring  
into Zell's mind. A woman, blonde, same blue eyes... crying...shouting..  
Somehow, he knew that THAT was his mother. But who was she? Saehri  
didn't tell anything 'bout her - personally speaking - and never even  
mentioned her name.  
  
"all in due time, all in due time." She'd tell him. But when WAS the  
"due time"?  
  
  
"Zell, are you ok now?" a voice asked, lifting him up from his shadows.  
He looked up and saw Sakura looking worriedly at him. "you don't seem  
to be sleeping well these days."  
  
*And there's also Sakura* he thought, then looked down, *why does she  
make me worry like hell when she's not close. But, she makes me fear  
my own life when she's near?*  
  
"Zell?"  
  
Zell looked up once more. She looked more worried now. "I....I'm  
sorry..... I couldn't sleep these past few days..."  
  
Sakura smiled a little and sat down beside him. "take it easy now, we  
still don't know if what she said was true.."  
  
At the mention of that particular topic, Zell abruptly stood up and  
excused himself. "I think I'll sleep for a moment. Later." he said,  
waving at Sakura though he wasn't looking.  
  
Sakura bit her lower lip. *shouldn't have said that...* she was about  
to leave when someone was blocking her way... "S-Saehri!!"  
  
Saehri smiled at her. "I'm happy that you're worried for him. But, I  
suggest you keep distance." Sakura suddenly felt a pang of hurt in her  
heart, "don't get me wrong!" she continued, "I like you... but until  
Zell would accept this part of him and let me help him, all you'll do  
is more harm than healing."  
  
Sakura fought back as tears threatened to well in her eyes. She stood  
up curtly and nodded to Saehri then walked away.  
  
Saehri's heart heavied at the sight. "so sorrowful.." she muttered. Her  
eyes then hardened and muttered again, "I'm going to find you, Wu." In a  
blink of an eye, shewas gone.  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"hey Sakura! wuzzup?" Shun asked, he was sitting on his chair with his  
feet up the table.  
  
Ruriko slapped his legs and shun withdrew in pain. *how insensitive could  
you get?* she thought, rolling her eyes. It was so obvious that Sakura was  
hurt. "want some tea, Sakura?" she asked, smiling brightly.  
  
Sakura looked at her with a forced happy-looking smile and shook her head.  
She headed straight for her room.  
  
"If this is not the end of oblivion, then I shall live my life as if it  
were to end on this very day.." Ruriko recited, drawing Shun's attention -  
and Sakura's as well.  
  
"since when did you learn to recite poetry?" Shun asked.  
  
"a long time earlier before you did, that's for sure." she countered.  
  
"oh yeah?"  
  
"YEAH!"  
  
Immediately, the two started a word brawl. Sakura smiled a genuine smile  
and laughed to herself. Silently, she went inside her room.  
  
To her surprise when she closed the door, Yukino as there.  
  
"Yukino?" she said, startled, "wha- what are you doing here?"  
  
Yukino looked at her with her palcid eyes and looked away. "the greatest  
battle that one would fight in his life would be a battle between him and  
himself." Then she suddenly disappeared with a little falling of snow.  
  
After recovering form her shock, Sakura walked slowly to the spot where  
Yukino once sat. Sakura then placed her left hand on the bed "how cold..."  
she mutters to herself, "I wonder what made Yukino say that.."  
  
  
Zell walked towards his room with a heavy heart. It seemed that he was  
carrying the world on his back. Who's fault was it anyway? His? because  
he could not accept himself? *No..* he thought, *Saehri....it's all her  
fault....*  
  
"yes...that's right. It's all her fault." a deep, resonating voice of  
a woman echoed behind him.  
  
He immediately turned around and foze on the spot. There was a woman all  
clad in a black robe with a pale skin, matching pale skin and deep dark  
eyes. Her left arm was bandaged but the way she moved it told Zell that it  
was no longer injured. "w-who are you!!!" he asked.  
  
"me? I am Wu. We both have one enemy so I have come." she said, malice  
glittering in her eyes.  
  
"same enemy?" Zell echoed, an eyebrow raised. Then he knew all too well  
what she was talking about. "you must be ..."  
  
Wu nodded her head and smiled. zell could see and sense that she was evil  
in every way thought possible. "why don't we join sides and defeat her?  
did you know that only YOU could end her miserable life?"  
  
Zell stared at her with icy cold eyes. "miserable life indeed...."  
  
"what do you say?"  
  
"NO."  
  
Wu moved away a bit, surprised from her answer. "what?"  
  
"I said NO. are you deaf? I'm not going to swear allegiance no any one,  
you hear? so buzz off!!" with that, Zell reared his right hand in preparation  
for a punch and tried to gave Wu a right.  
  
But she was too fast. Wu gracefully and easily moved her head back and   
suddenly caught Zell's right arm with her left "injured" hand and twisted  
it to almost breaking. Zell's strength left his left arm as pain sured into  
his right. Wu then deftly grabbed his left arm and let go of his right. she  
made a sudden turn to her left anf threw him over her back. Zell groaned as  
he landed on the concrete floor with a loud "thud" Wu twisted Zell's left   
arm to almost breaking point. Zell gritted his teeth in pain. Wu was out of  
reach.  
  
"swear to me!" she shouted at him, her voice dark and heavy in Zell's mind  
"or I'll break your arm..." she knew that Zell's fighting style heavily  
involved his arms. She knew their importance.  
  
"b-break my arm then!" he replied through gritted teeth.  
  
Wu sighed in anger and calmed herself. "very well... say goodbye to your  
arm..."  
  
Zell braced himself for the sure pain that would flood in his arm when  
suddenly... nothing happened.  
  
"move another muscle in your body and my sword shall find its point."  
a familiar but deep and vengeful voice said.  
  
Wu felt the tip of Saehri's sword behind her neck. She ment what she  
threatened. "ahh... Saehri... what brings you?"  
  
*S-Saehri??* Zell thought.  
  
"the smell of your death." she replied calmly.  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	22. Chapter 21

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
a/n: Hello. Another installment for this story. I hope you're liking  
it so far. I'm writing this thing as is goes so... I'm not really  
sure how the end goes... but I'm quite sure that it will happen soon.  
  
Thank You Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Much to all you  
reviewers and (of course) readers(even those who reads but don't review'n  
all)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 21~  
  
The three stood there frozen for sometime, just feeling each other  
(well, for Saehri and Wu's case, staring at each other).   
  
"Let go of him." Saehri said, pushing the tip of the blade farther  
a bit.  
  
Wu laughed. "dear, dear Saehri. You know you can't break the curse  
by killing me! You can't save him, Saehri." she said in a stern voice,  
"join me.."  
  
Wu had already loosened her grip and Zell took the advantage and stood  
up, pushing her away in the process. Immediately, Saehri placed herself  
in between Zell and Wu.  
  
Wu recovered from the sudden surprise of being pushed off and floated  
in the air before them. "unwise choice, I assure you. You'll never be  
able to trust anyone again!!!" she shouted and then disappered in a  
puff of smoke.  
  
"let me help you to the infirmary, Zell" Saehri said, turning around  
to face him. But then, she was taken aback. Zell stared at her venomously  
and passed by her, "accidentally" hitting her shoulder in the process.  
Saehri stumbled back a few paces.  
  
The only reason why she lived this long had hated her.  
  
  
"come on, Squall I really think you should give him time.." Rinoa said,  
trailing after the silent mercenary leader. She had overheard the explanitions  
did inside Saehri's room and knew what had transposed there.  
  
Squall kept silent. He was on his way to talk to Zell and Rinoa had found  
out. "Zell's being too low" he started to say, "soon, the headmaster would  
question this. Then, what excuse will he give? Many people had already noticed  
this and whenever they see me, tell me to cheer him up: 'you're his friend,  
aren't you?' they'd say. Selphie and Irvine, the clown duo, aren't here to  
do their stuff since they're in that Flying Mission... besides, I think he  
needs someone to talk to." he finished.  
  
*A real workaholic SeeD to the core* Rinoa thought, right after she heard  
Squall's first explanation. "you know, its a personal problem! people would  
rather fix it up themselves than find someone to help them. Let him sort  
his thoughts out a bit."  
  
Squall stopped and turned around to face her. "you really won't let me go  
unless I stop huh?" he asked.  
  
Rinoa nodded her head eagerly.  
  
"Ok then, just tag along but let me do the talking."  
  
Rinoa almost fell. She immediately grabbed Squall's right arm before he could  
get out of reach. "Squall...."  
  
The scar-faced mercenary gave out a sigh of defeat. Rinoa smiled in triumph.  
The happy SeeD girl walked closer to him and embraced him.  
  
"awww... come on! defeat is not all THAT bad!" she joked him, smiling.  
  
Squall smiled and hugged her back.  
  
"now, why don't we get some hotdogs?" she invited, breaking their hug.  
  
Squall shrugged his shoulders and said, "why not?"  
  
While they were walking along, a familiar blonde-haired, tatooed-face SeeD  
came into view. He was bruised on the shoulder and he held his left arm  
protectively(as it was held to the breaking point the longest).  
  
Instinctively, Rinoa rushed over to him. "Zell! are you ok? what happened  
to you??"  
  
He managed a faint smile at the sight of one of the friends he truly knew  
and trusted. "this is nothing... just fell down the stairs when I slipped."  
  
"anything broken?" Squall asked, coming closer.  
  
Zell nodded. "I think my arm broke."  
  
"your arm!!" Rinoa exclaimed, "that's horrible! you better get that thing  
fixed! Let us accompany you to Dr. Kadowaki."  
  
"no thanks, I think I can manage." he replied, "see ya guys!"  
  
Squall and Rinoa watched him go to the direction of Dr. Kadowaki's clinic.  
  
"Zell, the martial artist expert with lightning-fast reflexes and highly  
toned muscles slip on a stair and tumble? instead of flip-flopping and  
jumping and doing some extreme exibhition in the air and landing gracefully  
to the ground? that sounds odd..." Rinoa said, one of her eyebrow raised.  
  
Squall looked at her in disbelief. "he doesn't actually have lighting-fast  
reflexes."  
  
"that's not my point." she countered.  
  
"let's just go to the canteen shall we? like you said, and I quote, 'Let  
him sort his thoughts out a bit'." Squall told her, grabbing her hand and  
heading for the general direction of the Canteen.  
  
Rinoa just sighed. *I feel trouble brewing up in here...* she thought.  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	23. Chapter 22

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 22~  
  
For the following days, nothing of what Rinoa felt ever came about.  
In fact, it was so peaceful that they momentarily forgot(even Zell)  
what had happened before and with Selphie's jolly aura about, it was  
impossible to break the joyous mood.... or so they thought.  
  
While all were in happy land, Saehri had become more and more restless.  
Wu had not made a move for several days now, and it fustrated her.  
  
"what are you up to, Wu?" she asked, knowing that no one would bother  
answer her.  
  
  
Wu buised herself in her work, writing down things while observing  
someone in her spy-globe. It was a certain female SeeD with black  
hair streaked with brown here and there. She had brown eyes, and fair  
skin. She had this free-spirited attitude and she often wore a black,  
sleeveless, fitting shirt with matching black cycling shorts and boots  
with a sleeveless wool coat that reached her ankles with a signature  
mark of white angel wings printed at the back.  
  
She passed a pale hand over the globe and the images from the spy-globe  
disappeared.  
  
"what I need is time." she told herself, "but that is the one thing I  
do not have. If only I could find that spell book..." she stood up and  
went over to a bookshelf and started running her fingers on the books  
covers and started looking.  
  
  
"hey! why don't we go on a picnic next week?" Shun told them, then  
happily munched on his hotdog. They were in the canteen and he had  
just bought, to his luck, the last piece that was left.  
  
"picnic? That's a great idea! and next week is fine... since none of  
us would have assignments by then!" Selphie said excitedly.  
  
"we should assign ourselves then, to make sure that all would bring  
something." Rinoa suggested.  
  
Their table became a busy hive of activity and all were like bees  
buzzing ideas every now and then except for Squall, who kept silent.  
Just a few strides away from them, Saehri watched.  
  
*I wish I could be as worry-free as they are...* she sighed.  
  
  
~next week~  
  
They were at Esthar's BioPark, where President Laguna had met an  
accident. They were all there including Sakura, Ruriko, Yukino,  
Shun, Laguna, Ward, Kiros and Ellone. At that day, many people  
stopped by their picnic table because of Laguna's presence. They  
placed themselves on two available tables under the shade of a  
large oak tree.  
  
"you should really enjoy the scenery guys," Laguna told his long-  
time buddy Kiros, who was observing everything.  
  
"I am." he replied.  
  
Laguna gave him one of his goofy smiles, "NOT LIKE THAT!" he said.  
  
"yeah Mr. Kiros, you really should lighten up a bit!" Selphie told  
him in her cheery voice, then offered an apple.  
  
Kiros smiled at her and settled down a bit, taking an apple that  
Selphie offered him.  
  
"you're really work wonders Selphie!" Laguna commented.  
  
"aww shucks..." she said, digging her toes in the grass and putting  
her hands behind her and swayed left to right.  
  
"no, you really do!" Irvine added. Selphie blushed. *one point!* he  
thought to himself.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura, Ruriko, Quistis and Yukino prepared the table while  
Zell and Squall(much to everyone's surprise) volunteered to cook the  
barbecue. Rinoa, Ellone and Ward on the other hand, took the remaining  
picnic baskets out of the Laguna's old truck.  
  
So the tables were set. Red and white checkered cloth covered the  
tables, as to the usual tradition. Laguna and Squall seated themselves  
on both ends of the first table(Squall to the left) and Rinoa seated  
beside Squall to his right adn beside her, Quistis and Ellone. Opposite  
them sat Ward and Kiros.  
  
On the second table, Shun and Zell sat on the opposite ends. Selphie  
sat with Irvine to Zell's left and opposite them sat Ruriko and Sakura,  
with Yukino in the middle.  
  
Each table had their own plate of country-style barbecue and hotdog  
on buns and a jug of ice-cold lemonade. Each also had a bowl of mashed  
potatoes and assorted fruits(most of which were apples, bananas and  
oranges with a few grapes). All said their blessings and the food fest  
began. Zell and Shun ate as fast as they could, trying to eat as much  
hotdogs before the other finishes all of it. Selphie, Sakura and Ruriko  
chatted away, with Irvine intejecteing often in an attempt to make a  
"point" with Selphie. Yukino was as quiet as ever.  
  
On the other table, Ward, Kiros and Laguna often argued making certain  
corrections to Laguna's story as he told them to the others. Quistis,  
Rinoa and Ellone couldn't help but laugh at the three. Squall was like  
Yukino, silently watching and sometimes rolling his eyes skyward as he  
watched his father babble stories of his adventures with Ward and Kiros.  
  
As the three talked. Rinoa felt the call of nature. "umm...can you please  
excuse me? all this laughing has made my gall bladder burst." she said.  
All smiled and her and she left.  
  
There was a small comfort room not far from where they were and she went  
in. After a few seconds, Rinoa got out. As she was steadily walking her  
way back she watched the other picnikers about, throwing frizbees and doing  
stuff and eating their food. She was staring at a dog that reminded her of  
Angelo when she suddenly bumped into someone.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry I..." she suddenly stopped. Before her stood a tall woman  
all clad in black robes, her hood hiding her face well. Rinoa tried to  
stand up but she couldn't. Something about this woman froze her with fear.  
  
The woman touched Rinoa on the forehead with a pale finger and suddenly,  
all of Rinoa's senses went numb and she fell on the grass with a soft thud.  
The woman then snapped her fingers and Rinoa's body suddenly disappeared.  
The robes then started to shift oddly. The figure became shorter and after  
a few more minutes, the robes stopped shifting. The figure then raised a  
hand, no longer pale but now fair in color. A blue cloth covered her wrists  
up to her elbows. She deftly removed her cloak and smiled happily.  
  
Rinoa then resumed walking back to the picnic table.  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	24. Chapter 23

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 23~  
  
"Hello!" Rinoa said cheerily as she reappeared in the picnic table.  
Everybody greeted her wih the same cheeryness that she greeted them  
except for the ever silent Yukino and Squall of course. She then  
returned to her seat beside Ellone and resumed talking with her.  
  
Squall sat eating in silent surprise. Usually, Rinoa would tease him  
for not greeting her and they'd end up having a tickling match. *maybe  
she's just excited to see the others* he thought, taking a glance at  
Rinoa. Then, something hit him. Rinoa seemed different to him.... as if  
she was not Rinoa. "nah, that's stupid!" he muttered.  
  
"did you say something to me Squall?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Squall looked up and saw her brown eyes staring deep into his. It  
made him feel hollow. *odd..* he thought. "no, no...its nothing."  
  
Rinoa shrugged her shoulders. "okay...but you better not stay locked  
up inside you!" she smiled.  
  
He smiled back.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Saehri, who was hiding atop the tree they were all perched  
under, felt something odd and she looked down. Everything seemed normal.  
They were all smiling and laughing and talking and all...but, something  
was definately wrong. She felt it in her bones and there was no mistaking  
it.   
  
But what was it?  
  
She kept her guard up just incase this evil force would pop up and do  
some harm.  
  
...  
  
The day went on and nothing came up. Saehri watched as they cleaned  
and fixed up things and packed everything up and left. Saehri once  
again cast an invisibility spell on her and summoned her Flight Card  
and sprouted wings on her back and followed after them.  
  
All throughout her flight she felt the evil presence before her.  
  
*Before me?* she thought, *how could the evil be before me?* she held  
the thought for a while and landed herself beside a tree as Laguna's  
group parted with Squall's. Still, nothing happened. Could the evil  
had shape-shifted and disguised itself? It was a horrible thought and  
if that was the problem, complications would surely arrise.  
  
"I'll find out when we get back to Balamb..." she whispered to herself  
and took flight once again as Squall and the others went inside the Ragnarok  
and took off as well.  
  
"I'll screen you out.."   
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	25. Chapter 24

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
a/n: sorry for the long delay. pop-up problems suddenly popped up.  
gomenasai. ^_^  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 24~  
  
The Ragnarok reached Balamb in a matter of a few hours with Saehri  
closely following behind, still pondering on whom or where the evil   
presence might was hiding. It was certainly of Wu's doing, she figured,  
being able to hide the presence from her with such expertise.  
  
The group landed on the newly constructed landing pad for the plane   
and then headed towards their beds to sleep, especially Zell.  
  
All throughout the flight, Zell was the uneasiest. There was this   
tugging feeling inside his chest that kept on telling him that   
something's not right. Yet, when he'd look around, everybody was   
doing fine. Selphie was happily piloting the Ragnarok in the cockpit   
with Irvine. Sakura, Rinoa and Quistis were chatting the seconds away   
beside him in the passenger's area and Squall was inside one of the   
cabin rooms, probably sleeping or thinking deeply again.  
  
"That's probably my imagination." He told himself as he walked towards  
his room, "…but I wonder what caused it…"  
  
"Hello, Zell" Saehri greeted him as he opened his door. She was seated   
on his bed, obviously waiting for him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he said in an annoyed tone.  
  
Saehri stood up and walked closer to him. Zell moved away and lay   
down on his bed. She sighed and moved closer towards him. He was   
feigning sleep. "I'm just here to warn you." He suddenly snored.   
"*sigh* there's trouble close to you. When you arrived," she said,   
careful not to tell that she had been watching him all the time, "I   
felt an evil presence with you. Take caution, watch your back." Zell   
snored again. "I'll go now." She simply said, then walked out the   
door and closed it gently.  
  
Zell opened his eyes again. Saehri was a hard one to fool, but what   
did she tell him? She felt an evil presence when they arrived? *could   
that be connected to that tugging feeling?* he asked himself. He knew   
that Saehri was serious about all she said and, he had never heard   
her joke about anything concerning an evil presence. He sighed and   
removed his shoes and placed them beside his bed. He put all thoughts   
aside and lay back down again into a deep sleep.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Saehri secretly visited each of the picnicker's rooms.   
She found nothing in all of their things and it puzzled her greatly.   
They were all asleep and resting, except for Rinoa. Saehri figured   
that she might be in the library reading books. She had a lot of   
energy and was the type not to be tired easily.  
  
She retreated back into Selune's room, pondering what the evil could   
have been and what it would do. "Wu, what are you up to?" she asked   
no one. Then, a thought occurred to her. "Vision!" she said aloud,   
and in her hand appeared her blue and silver Clow Card.  
  
On the card was a woman with a long hair, her eyes closed. She was   
wearing a simple robe with wide sleeves. Her arms were opened wide   
and her palms were faced outwards. There was a drawing of a many-rayed  
sun behind her head; a small crescent moon was on her chest and on   
each of her palms, a six-pointed star rested.  
  
Saehri lay down on her bed, held the card close to her heart and   
softly whispered, "Clow of Visions give me sight! Show the answer to   
my plight!"  
  
The card glowed brightly and suddenly disappeared. Saehri was fast   
asleep.  
  
  
Saehri was standing on a green field with a clear and sunny blue   
sky. She walked ahead slowly then, there was a noise. Looking for the   
source of the noise, she found a small group of white figures making   
cheerful noises. Then, the group clapped as they gave way to a lone   
figure who bowed to them gracefully. The figure then suddenly disappeared   
and the audience cheered.  
  
"What is this?" she murmured.  
  
After a short while, the figure reappeared, this time wearing a   
mask. The crowd cheered once again and clapped their hands.  
  
"I guess that proves that he or she is authentic." Saehri said.  
  
She watched as the party resumed until the masked figure was left   
alone. When all the figures had their backs turned to it, the masked   
figure removed the mask and suddenly it turned to black. The skies   
then rumbled as dark clouds loomed over them and rain poured down   
heavily. Lightning bolts jumped from cloud to cloud above them,   
threatening to strike.  
  
One of the electric bolts did strike. It hit one of the figures and   
it turned gray. The gray figure killed everyone except the black   
figure and finally, the black figure killed the gray one.  
  
The rain turned to blood.  
  
  
Saehri woke up panting and sweating. She sat up on her bad and looked  
at the Vision Card that she held on her hand with fear. It was the   
worst vision she had ever seen the card give her. She looked away   
from it and made it return to its secret compartment with a flick of   
her wrist.  
  
Now she was more worried than ever. What could have Wu planned that   
made the vision card give her such bloody dreams? She had to find out   
before Wu put her plan to play. She didn't realize that it was already   
on play.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Wu laughed silently as she relaxed on her bed, thinking   
about the troubles she would cause this pathetic dimension. Soon she   
would kill everyone and make Saehri die…. "No..." she muttered, "I   
have a better idea on how to deal with Saehri Clow..." she smirked.  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	26. Chapter 25

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 25~  
  
It was one of those days, when you thought that it was a perfect day   
when everything when everything went suddenly wrong. Zell was eating at   
the canteen when suddenly Rinoa and Sakura suddenly arrived. At the   
sight of the auburn-haired girl's green eyes his body went hyper. Zell   
felt that his heartbeat went from the normal rate to super fast.  
  
"Hi Zell!!" greeted both girls.  
  
Zell swallowed hard what he was chewing. "H-Hi!"  
  
"Can we sit here?" asked Rinoa, "the whole canteen seems to be full and   
we really can't find another chair."  
  
"Sure! Have a seat."  
  
Rinoa immediately took the seat across Zell leaving Sakura to sit to   
Zell's right.  
  
"Rinoa, what will be your order?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Me?" Rinoa looked at the menu that was on the table. "Hmm... I guess   
I'll just take the usual. Hotdogs. You better hurry or we might get left   
out."  
  
Sakura immediately stood up and smiled. "Of course." She replied.  
  
Just after a few moments that she left, Rinoa leaned in closer to Zell.   
"Hey Zell," she started, "can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure!" Zell said. He had calmed down since Sakura wasn't around.  
  
"This is going to get personal so I hope you don't mind." She added.  
  
"Shoot."  
  
Rinoa smiled. "Uh, do you like Sakura? I mean, she's a cute girl and   
everything."  
  
Zell almost choked. "Yeah. I mean, she's a nice girl and everything.   
She's a good friend. Don't YOU like her?"  
  
Rinoa looked at him oddly. "Huh? NOT LIKE THAT! I mean, do you LIKE   
her, and have a crush?"  
  
Zell was silent for a moment. "......uh, what if I did?"  
  
"PERFECT!" Rinoa almost shouted.  
  
"What's perfect?" Sakura asked. She had just arrived without anyone   
noticing her.   
  
"Uh -nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Rinoa immediately excused. "We were   
just talking about the Training Center......you know, the fact that it's   
not working well and all. But Zell here told me that it's working fine   
now! Everything looks like a real terrain from outside Balamb! Cool huh?"  
  
Sakura took her seat and giggled a bit. "Sure. Here's your hotdog.   
These were the last two."  
  
"Perfect timing!" Rinoa looked at the hotdog hungrily.  
  
Just then, Zell stood up. Apparently, he had finished eating his Extra-  
Special Bacon-Hotdog combo. "Uh, I'm leaving guys. Later!"  
  
"Sure. See you later!" Sakura waved good-bye. Rinoa gave him a wink   
and then he left.  
  
Just exactly when Zell left, Ruriko, Shun and Yukino arrived.  
  
"Hey! Sakura! Rinoa! How's life?" Ruriko greeted cheerily.  
  
"Fine!" the two replied in the same manner.  
  
"Hey seats!" Shun said.  
  
"Take a seat." Sakura invited them, "there's enough for everyone anyway."  
  
And so, Ruriko sat across Rinoa, Shun sat across Sakura and Yukino sat   
in between Sakura and Ruriko, on a chair that they got from another table.   
Everyone chatted happily, except for Yukino, who looked at Rinoa uneasily…  
  
  
Meanwhile, Saehri Clow talked with instructor Quistis in her office of   
the danger that she sensed.  
  
"Okay, so, you're telling me that Zell is not who he is and his real   
name is actually Huan-Lang? And that he is royalty? And that he is here   
now because your twin brother, Clow Reed, send him here through a time   
and space portal?" Quistis sarcastically said. Saehri had just told her   
of Zell's really historical background.  
  
Saehri nodded. She knew that this was going to be hard.  
  
"You're kidding me." The blonde instructor said, shaking her head.  
  
Saehri sighed. "It's okay if you don't believe me. All I'm asking is   
that you just guard Zell whenever you can. Train him better, if you would."  
  
"Train Zell? He's already a SeeD! Do you understand that? A SeeD! - a   
graduate from this Garden! A G-R-A-D-U-A-T-E! He does not NEED ANY   
training OR watching" Quistis said frustratingly.  
  
"This thing I'm talking about is WAY stronger than Ultimecia!" Saehri   
said, pounding her fist on Quistis' table.  
  
"If that is so, why can't YOU guard her?" Quistis asked.  
  
"I'M DOING THAT! BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE!" she said, putting importance   
and urgency in each word, "I can't be everywhere all the time! I can't   
be looking for her and guarding him at the same time! I'd waste an awful   
lot of power that might be of great help when she suddenly decides to   
attack!" Saehri sighed and walked away. "Never mind." She said, "You'll   
never understand..." and with those final words, she disappeared.  
  
"Never understand?" Quistis said questioningly.  
  
  
Later that day, Zell was walking along the road towards Balamb town   
when once again; he met up with Rinoa...again.   
  
"Zell! There you are!!" Rinoa said happily.  
  
"Here we go again..." Zell murmured.  
  
"How about if you arrange a date with Sakura?" she suddenly blurted   
out.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
Rinoa smiled. "Awww... come on! Just once date? Purdy please?" she said,   
putting on her puppy-face-look.  
  
Zell sighed. "Then you'll stop bugging me?"  
  
Rinoa stood up straight and raised both her arms up in surrender.  
  
"Fine then. JUST ONE." He emphasized, and then walked away.  
  
When Zell was out of hearing range, Rinoa smirked as she watched him   
go away. "Even just one date could be deadly, little prince..." and she   
turned away and laughed inwardly as she walked towards Rinoa's room.  
  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	27. Chapter 26

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 26~  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" Zell murmured to himself as he waited   
outside of Sakura's room, dressed in a white shirt, loose pants his   
black-and-red rubber shoes, and a red cap. He had asked Sakura for a   
date yesterday, just like he and Rinoa had planned. "That girl is   
really a love-nerd." He murmured once again. It was still quite early,   
6:00 am, but Zell had a lot of places he wanted Sakura to see.  
  
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long." Sakura's sweet voice shook   
him out of his thoughts. She appeared in her doorway, dressed in a   
simple pink, sleeveless dress, a black choker with a Sakura flower   
pendant and white shoes. Her hair wasn't arranged much, just a red   
ribbon lace tied to her hair on the left side.  
  
Zell was awestruck. He had never seen Sakura so beautiful. "N-n-no,   
it's just fine! Y-you look dazzling." He said.  
  
Sakura blushed. "Thank you."  
  
"Shall we?" Zell asked, offering his hand like a gentleman.  
  
Sakura smiled and took his hand. They walked together towards the   
Ragnarok. "Are you sure we can take this?"  
  
"No worries. I already asked permission." Zell told her, which was   
true. It was hard to convince Squall but with Rinoa there, he was   
cornered.  
  
  
Zell took Sakura to places he'd visited before and Sakura hadn't.   
First, they headed for Winhill, which Sakura thought was absolutely   
wonderful; then they headed for Timber. He told her that it was where   
Rinoa often "comes home to". There they met Zone and Watts, which he   
gladly introduced to her. Next, they headed for Deling City. Zell now   
tells the fact that Rinoa was born here, her parents being a general   
and a famous pianist-turned-singer. After that, the Galbaldia Garden   
(it was a _very_ short trip.); then, the newly-built Trabia Garden (here   
he told Sakura that it had been blown to bits before and this was where   
Selphie had come from.); then they visited the Shumi Tribe, and this   
was where he told Sakura about Laguna's history; they also visited that   
place where Laguna and Kiros had been hired to act in a movie but ended   
up fighting a Ruby Dragon; then they visited the undersea lab, to the   
place where they had acquired the GF Eden (it got a little dirty there,   
but Sakura said she didn't mind); then they once again visited Esthar,   
covering every inch of the whole city; and then they went to the Lunatic   
Pandora lab, Tear's Point (where Zell tells Sakura about the Lunatic   
Pandora, which was now totally destroyed so that it won't cause trouble   
again) and the Lunar Gate, where Zell tells Sakura about his own   
experience going there (Zell told Sakura, "maybe I'll take you to the   
Lunar Lab someday. If it could be allowed, that is." "That'd be   
wonderful!" Sakura replied.). Then, they parked the Ragnarok by the   
Salt Plains (he showed that to Sakura too.) and walked the once-used   
train track until they were in the middle most part.  
  
It was already sunset when they headed there, and the sun looked   
beautiful.   
  
"Wow. I've never experienced so many jet lags in such a small amount   
of time!" Sakura said after drinking up the water they had packed with   
them.  
  
"Well, I could say that this date is a failure. It became more of a   
school field trip to me." Zell said, grabbing his own water and drinking.  
  
Sakura looked at him, her emerald green eyes clearly seen in the   
fading light. "NO! Not at all! I really enjoyed myself! It was the best   
date I've ever had!" she told him.  
  
Zell looked at her. "Really?" he asked.  
  
Sakura nodded. "Now, why don't we just eat our picnic and enjoy the   
view? It's really wonderful. I think that this is the second most   
wonderful place that I've ever been to! I used to watch the sunset with   
Syaoran before..." she said, her voice somber.  
  
"Sayoran?" Zell asked.  
  
"He was... by fiancée." She answered.  
  
Zell looked down, and then looked at her again. "Was?"  
  
Sakura nodded. "Was. He, um, h-he..." she began to sob, "he was ...  
k-k-killed..."  
  
Zell's face became that of worry and concern. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't   
have asked." He came closed to her and embraced her, comforting her   
though her tears.  
  
"Thank you Zell." She said, smiling up and him and wiping her tears.  
  
Zell smiled. "Hey, what are friends for?" he told her, and that   
statement almost hurt him. "Now, let's forget all our worries and watch   
the sunset! The view's not stayin' there for long y'know."  
  
Sakura smiled and as they watched the sunset, they ate their picnic   
and talked about better things. Deep inside though, Sakura was still   
thinking about Syaoran. But there was also a strange nagging feeling   
inside her, something new and unexpected. She looked at Zell as he   
happily watched the fading sunset, looked at her, smiled and offered   
his hotdog. He had such sparkling blue eyes. *am I stating to fall for   
him?* she asked herself.  
  
  
They arrived back at the Garden about eight o'clock in the evening.   
Most of the people were in their rooms early so there were only a few   
people who had witnessed their happy arrival.   
  
Zell then escorted Sakura to her room and there, they said their   
good-byes.  
  
"That was really wonderful Zell. Really wonderful." She told him,   
smiling.  
  
Zell blushed lightly. It was good for him that the lights were already   
dim. "R-really? I'm glad you enjoyed it."  
  
All of a sudden, Sakura gave Zell a kiss on the cheek. "Good night   
Zell," she said to the still-surprised-Zell, "sweet dreams. Thanks   
again." At that, Sakura gently closed her door.  
  
Zell, who was still too stunned to recover, to a few moments of   
steadying breath and speechlessly went back to his room, happy as a   
lark.  
  
  
"This is bad." Saehri whispered as she silently watched everything   
that had occurred. "This is really bad."  
  
  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	28. Chapter 27

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 27~  
  
*So that was it* Sakura thought as she lay on the floor half-dazed. Chaos was   
all around her and it grew worse by the minute. Above her, a silver dragon with a   
tattooed face flew across the ceiling, knocking down pillars and sending down debris   
in its wake.  
  
It had happened like this: it had been a week since their first date and five   
others followed. And in their last date, she had become his girlfriend. Even   
though it may seem quick, deep inside, both had a feeling - like a happy memory -   
that they had met before and known each other. Just this morning, Sakura and   
Zell walked along the hallway to the Quad. They were planning to look at the sky   
and watch the birds. There was this beautiful instance when the looked at each   
other's eyes that lovers find hard not to kiss.  
  
"No!" she hears someone shout from somewhere a few meters away.  
  
Then there came the kiss.  
  
All of a sudden, the tattoo on Zell's face started to glow and Zell screams in   
pain. Saehri comes into the scene, giving Sakura a death-glare before coming to   
Zell's aid.  
  
She puts a hand on his forehead and blue aura surrounds them both, after which,   
Saehri collapses on the floor. Sakura then runs to her side and tries to wake her.   
She's unconscious.  
  
Then, a bright white light surrounds Zell and a blinding flash occurs. When Sakura   
had the strength to open her eyes once more, what she sees in Zell's place shocks   
her.  
  
It was a dragon.  
  
The Silver Dragon then goes inside the Garden and starts havoc. Sakura follows   
and tried to confine him in a shield with the Shield Card. Unfortunately (and   
much to Sakura's surprise), Zell breaks free and this causes Sakura to get blown   
away, and thus her current position.  
  
"Sakura!" Selphie shouts as she approaches her. "Sakura! Where's Zell? We have   
to get out of here!" she says as she helps her in a sitting position. Tears fill   
Sakura's eyes, she was hurt. It was all her fault. Sakura, unable to hold it in   
any longer, breaks down and cries on Selphie's chest. "w-what's wrong?" Selphie   
asked, too afraid that what she was thinking was true.  
  
"Zell - he... he..." Sakura stammers, pointing at the Silver Dragon flying in   
the ceiling.  
  
Selphie stares wide-eyed at the flying monster. Anger and sadness fill her. What   
she was thinking was true. She lets Sakura go slowly, stands up and closes her   
fists into a ball and raises it towards the monster. "YOU EVIL THING! HOW _DARE_   
YOU EAT ZELL!"  
  
Sakura, who was oblivious to everything except the little voices in her mind   
shouting 'it's your fault' in her head, just keeps on crying.  
  
At that moment, Saehri appears looking all worn out. "You're wrong, Selphie."   
She says, "THAT IS Zell."  
  
Selphie looks at her in disbelief. "No..."  
  
Saehri's emotionless face does not reply.  
  
Selphie looks back again at the dragon and recognizes the tattoo covering its   
scaly face. "I-I-impossible!"  
  
"Do you like my work, Saehri." A voice from behind says.  
  
"How would I, Wu?" Saehri said as she faced her.  
  
At that exact moment, Squall and Irvine arrive at the scene.   
  
"Sephie!" Irvine shouts, "Where..." and suddenly, both men were stopped by the   
scene before them. There was Selphie staring in surprise at the monster, Sakura   
was crying off to one side and Saehri and Rinoa were staring at each other.  
  
"What...?" Squall mutters.  
  
"Where's Rinoa?" Saehri asks.  
  
Irvine would normally laugh out loud and pointedly tell Saehri that she was   
right in front of her, but the two women were staring at each other so fiercely   
that he just didn't have the heart to do it.  
  
"Rinoa?" Wu says and slowly, she changes her form thus surprising the two men.   
Wu laughs the way all evil female sorcerers do and points toward the dragon. "Can   
you not see?"  
  
"R-Rinoa!" Selphie shouts, she was so intent on looking at the dragon that she   
finally sees the pale and small form of Rinoa. "S-she looks sick..."  
  
Squall stares at the dragon and immediately sees Rinoa. She was wearing an all   
black ensemble that likened the one she usually wore, making her more pallid than   
ever. "Why I'll..."  
  
"Stop, Squall!" Saehri shouts, not taking her eyes off Wu. "It's not as easy as   
it looks."   
  
  
  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	29. Chapter 28

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 28~  
  
"Not so easy as it looks?" Squall echoed. "Getting her off that thing  
is easy."  
  
"Getting her out of her coma is not." Saehri snapped back.  
  
"Coma...?" Squall said unbelievingly.  
  
  
Sakura just lay there, staring at the chaos on which she blamed herself  
as the root. *It's all my fault....MY fault...* she blamed herself, her  
voice in her head getting choked once in a while by sobs.  
  
'Saehri told you to stay away didn't she? So why didn't you?' it asked.  
  
*He... he... he approached me....* she answered.  
  
'Is that a good reason? NO! You could have eluded him but no; you didn't  
and now look what happened! Even Rinoa - who hasn't done anything at all -  
is in trouble!' it said menacingly, each word like a whip lash on Sakura's  
back.  
  
Tears flowed freely once again.  
  
...how could I have been so blind?...  
  
"It's not your fault. You didn't know. It's MY fault." a voice, familiar to  
her ears, spoke inside her mind.  
  
...Saehri...  
  
"Don't block out!" she shouted.  
  
...I ......I don't know if I can hold on... it hurts so much...  
  
"Be strong, Sakura. Don't let you guilt drown you. I should have told you  
the reason why you needed to avoid him... I'm the once who's to blame."  
  
Whatever Saehri's effort into waking Sakura to the fact failed. Saehri  
retreated back and left Sakura alone in her thoughts. No one could save  
her but she alone. If she won't open her eyes, then she won't.  
  
  
"Wu, you've caused enough trouble. You've destroyed Sakura's life just  
for the sake of destroying mine. You killed Syaoran and all her family.  
I won't let you get away with that!" Saehri shouted at Wu with blazing eyes.  
  
"Why?" Wu replied casually, "do you think I'd run away from you? the only  
thing that would make me stop is me crushing your heart in my fist."  
  
Saehri smiled at her then said, "Squall, summon Eden. Use it on the beast.  
When Rinoa falls, be sure to catch her and restrain her. Silence her and make  
her blind - much better if you can do that before letting her fall."  
  
Squall stared at her, still too shocked to react to the sudden address of  
his name.  
  
It was Irvine who pushed Squall and Selphie into moving. "Come on guys!  
let's help Rinoa!" he shouted, shaking Squall hard enough for him to snap  
out of his shock. While he just shouted Selphie's name to make her move.  
  
The trio, now completely out of shock, looked at each other and wend to  
work. Saehri and Wu have begun floating in the air and charging their powers  
up. On the floor Sakura lay, staring at space with glassy eyes. All the pain  
of loosing her loved ones playing in her mind, over and over again. She lay  
there, forgotten.  
  
  
Quistis have already started up the Ragnarok. With her are most of the   
faculty and junior members. Up in the cockpit with her was Headmaster Cid,  
Matron and Ellone. It had amazed her that two-thirds of the whole population  
of the Garden had fit into the two space crafts but she was glad that it  
did. The other students were advised to run to Balamb while the cafts went to  
Trabia and Galbadia to seek help to get rid of the beast.  
  
"Quistis, please let me down. I can feel it in my bones! I'm needed down  
there!" Ellone pleaded for the sixteenth time.  
  
Quistis looked at her furstratingly. "Please, Ellone, how many times do I have  
to tell you..."  
  
"No, we must let her down." A gentle voice of a woman spoke. It was Matron Edea.  
"Even though I do not have my powers, some of it that are originally mine are  
still left. I think Ellone is right." She was looking at the shattering glass  
of the Garden.  
  
Cid approached her. "But it's dangerous down there!" he said.  
  
Quistis nodded in agreement.  
  
Ellone walked away and sighed. "Uncle Laguna would allow me, I'm sure. He  
knows. I'd think he'd feel it too." she said, looking at the Garden, which  
was slowly getting smaller.  
  
The blonde pilot shook her head. It was all too much. *No Leadership qualities...*  
she thought again. "Your Uncle Laguna, maybe. But he's not here. Right now,  
it's just us."  
  
...what a big mistake you're making...  
  
A teeny tiny voice at the back of her head said.  
  
...give it a go! don't YOU feel it in your bone too?...  
  
*NO!* came her harsh reply.  
  
...Ellone is needed there and you know it...  
  
*shut up!*  
  
...Face it! It's there! I know it is! You can't lie to me!...  
  
Quistis looked at the roof of the cockpit and sighed in resignation. He could  
feel it, really. Even before Ellone first said that she was needed there. But  
she was scared. Squall, Irvine and the others were still there and yet there  
we no signs that they were in the other ship. Selphie would immediately talk  
to her if everyone was fine there. But there was no Selphie, no ear-deafening  
hello.  
  
Slowly, Ellone, Edea and Cid noticed that they were going back. Ellone faced  
Quistis, who had her back on her, all smiling.  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
"Just go before I change my mind!" she shouted, her back still turned towards  
her.  
  
"Be careful, dear." Ellone and Cid both told her and Ellone nodded. Before the  
door closed behind her, she heard Quistis say "good luck and take care."   
  
Ellone smiled.  
  
*I'll be alright.* she promised to them silently.  
  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	30. Chapter 29

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 29~  
  
Ellone arrived just in time to see Squall summoning Eden.  
  
"Squall!" she shouted, waving at hand at him. Squall turned around  
and stopped summoning. When Ellone finally arrived gasping, she stook  
a few deep breaths and asked, "what are you doing?"  
  
"Saehri told me to summon Eden." he replied.  
  
Ellone looked at the Silver Dragon and immediately noticed Rinoa.  
She looked as Squall questioningly.  
  
"she told us to do just that to make her fall." he said.  
  
Ellone looked at Rinoa again. "Maybe I can help."  
  
Squall looked at her, surprised. "What will you do? I don't think  
that sending Rinoa to the past will help."  
  
Ellone smiled at her little brother. *Still quite narrow-minded.*  
she thought. "Trust me." and before Squall could make any further  
comments, Ellone sent Rinoa AND the Silver Dragon to their respective  
pasts, causing them both to loose consciousness.  
  
"Hurry Squall! I can only hold them there for so long!" she shouted.  
  
  
Wu turned around as her Dragon suddenly fell down. "What..."  
  
"Come on, Wu, let's battle." Saehri said.  
  
All at once, knotted muscles springed into action and the two   
mistresses of magic unsheathed their swords and started an amazing  
sword play. Every thrust, slash and parry were delivered with grace  
and agility. It wasn't long before they were airborne, jumping from  
column to column and blasting the other with their own powerful magic.  
  
"Yuki!!" Wu shouted, sending a blizzard towards Saehri.  
  
"Hi no Namida!" Saehri yelled, sending tear-shaped fire towards Wu's  
blizzard and creating an explosion once the opposide forces met.  
  
  
Unknowingly, Ellone had accidentally sent Rinoa and Zell's consciousness  
into Sakura's past, at the time of the Magic Wars that was started by  
Wu.  
  
Zell and Rinoa unknowingly floated side by side through the sea of  
memories inside Sakura's mind. They were painful and Sakura's feelings  
tore through them. They experienced everything from Fujitaka Kinomoto's  
death to Syaoran Li's. They swam through her thoughts until they reached  
a small place where they saw Sakura crying and bounded by chains.  
  
"What..." Rinoa said for the first time in this place. And that was when  
Zell noticed that she was there too.  
  
"Rinoa, what are you doing here?" Zell asked.  
  
Rinoa looked at him and shrugged. "What about you?"  
  
"Dunno. I don't even know how I got here y'know." He replied.  
  
The two just shrugged the topic off and approached Sakura. They both  
figured out that she couldn't hear them since with all the speaking that  
they made, she didn't even looked at them.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong?" Rinoa asked to no one in particular.  
  
Zell just approached her and tried to touch her but his hand passed  
through her, like she was a ghost. His heart ached to see her like this,  
suffering.  
  
...It's all my fault...  
  
A voice, very soft and faint that it sounded like a breeze, echoed in  
the place.  
  
"Sakura?" Rinoa said.  
  
...I'm the person to blame...  
  
"What's happening?" Zell turned around to figure out where the voice  
was coming from.  
  
...my fault...  
  
Then, Zell felt Rinoa nagging at his sleeve. "Look." she said, pointing  
toward the chained Sakura.  
  
He then noticed that chains started to appear, slowly but surely, around  
Sakura, even bounding her more.  
  
...nobody would be suffering if it wasn't for me...  
  
Another chain appeared around her upper arm. And they realized that if  
they didn't do anything, Sakura would be soon covered in chains.  
  
"What do we do? She can't hear, see or feel us?" Rinoa asked, worry in  
her voice as clear as the sun in the sky.  
  
"I-I don't know!!!!" Zell shouted.  
  
Just then a brown-haired boy with amber eyes, just the age of Sakura,  
came out of nowhere, walking towards her. He was wearing weird mint-green  
hat and matching shirt with blooming pants.  
  
"Who's that?" Rinoa asked.  
  
Zell shrugged.  
  
The boy then looked at Zell smiled and said, "Thank you for calling me  
here."  
  
Zell just looked at him, puzzled.  
  
The boy then kneeled in front of Sakura and held her hand in his. "Love,"  
he called her, "wake up, stop chaining yourself."  
  
"S-Syaoran?" Sakura said. It was faint but it was her. She lifted her face  
a little, causing some of the chains to clank.  
  
"Am here."   
  
At once, some of her chains started to disappear and she lifted her hands  
to touch his face. The chains clanked some more. "Don't leave me okay?"  
she said like a small child.   
  
"Never did."  
  
Sakura looked up at him suddenly, looking strait into his amber eyes.  
Her tear-streaked face was still overflowing with tears and she looked  
like she hadn't been sleeping for days.  
  
"Sakura, live." he finally said before disappearing.  
  
Sakura's eyes became glassy and lifeless. And all at once, she disappeared.  
  
  
Saehri was down, blood was streaking down her face from a wound to the  
upper-left of her left eye. There were wounds all over her body and her  
dress was stained in blood. Wu didn't look any better. To say the least,  
they were both wounded.  
  
"What's with you?" Wu asked, "you're weaker than the last time we met.  
It's no fun."  
  
Saehri managed to stand up with the help of her sword. "What's wrong?  
can't stand it?"  
  
Wu frowned. "I'm going to like killing you." She then smiled and attacked.  
She jumped up and brought her sword down suddenly...  
  
"Ultra Whirlwind Slash!!!"  
  
A strong gush of wind blew Wu off who was caught off-guard.  
  
"Hey don't leave us out of the party!" Shun shouted, followed by Ruriko,  
who had her bow locked and loaded; and then Yukino.  
  
"What!" Wu shouted angrily. Saehri only smiled.  
  
Before Wu could recover completely, Ruriko tensed her bow and released  
her arrow. The arrow struck true but unfortunately, was blocked by Wu's  
protective magic.  
  
  
Ellone fell on the floor, exhausted. The dragon's yellow eye opened and  
Rinoa staggered from the ropes that bound her. The dragon was actually  
bounded as well, petrified and Eden standing atop it. Both were blind,  
mute and confused due to the spells that Selphie, Irvine and Squall casted  
altogeher while the two were unconscious.  
  
"I hope Eden can hold it off until Saehri can tell us what do next.."  
Irvine said, wiping his brow.  
  
  
In one corner, a completely forgotten girl opened her emerald green  
eyes and on her hand a pink wand, with a circlet-enclosed star and little  
wings to the side attached to it, appeared.  
  
"Thank you... Zell, Rinoa...Syaoran."   
  
Life filled her eyes and a smile returned to her face. On her other hand,  
she held a pink card with a design of a long-haired, winged being holding   
a heart.  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
to be continued... 


	31. Chapter 30

**usual disclaimers apply**  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A MAGICIAN'S CURSE  
by Yumemi  
  
~Chapter 30~  
Sakura stood up, all ready for battle. She looked at the card that she  
held in her hand. "Hope." She murmured and smiled. "Hope." She held the   
card close to her heart and then put it back on her deck. She then drew   
The Lock. "Lock card, release and dispel!" Sakura locked the ropes that   
bound the two beings and especially the part where the ropes bound the   
mouth.  
  
Everyone turned to see where the new voice had come from. They saw   
Sakura - in a very different light. She looked formidable and powerful   
- just like when she faced the final enemy during the war.  
  
Saehri smiled at the sight of her - strong like before. "I see your   
back, card mistress." She greeted.  
  
Sakura smiled back. "I am too." She then looked at Wu. "I see we have   
some unfinished business to do."  
  
Ruriko smiled at her. "Why don't we all work together to defeat this   
trash?" she said.  
  
"Sounds good to me." Selphie replied, appearing a few strides behind   
Wu along with the others.  
  
All heads nodded in agreement.  
  
Wu smirked despite of her situation. "You think you can defeat me? Try   
and get me!" and she immediately jumped away, sending them a few energy   
balls while at it.  
  
Yukino raised a hand and blizzards of ice blasted the balls of energy   
in the air before they could reach them.  
  
Ruriko looked at the others. "You keep her busy while I will heal   
Saehri. I believe that she's the only one who can end her life." She   
said.  
  
"Not so true." Saehri replied, "But I am needed."  
  
Everyone just smiled at her and then ran towards Wu's direction. Only   
Yukino stayed behind with them.  
  
Shun started the blasting by sending some Vacuum Missiles on Wu's way.   
Then, Squall followed with a few hacks and slashes, which were   
effectively parried by Wu. Selphie tried to use The End spell on her   
but it didn't work. Irvine shot a few rounds, missing Wu by only a few   
micro millimeters since she was a fast-moving target. Unknowingly, Wu   
had been drawing Rinoa's energy, thus slowly healing herself.  
  
*It would only take a few minutes…* she thought.  
  
Squall then cast reflect and protect on Rinoa, worrying about her   
safety and unknowingly stopping the flow of energy from Rinoa to Wu.   
Sakura then summoned her Tree Card to try and restraint her but Wu   
broke free afterwards. Wu then sends some energy balls along their way.  
  
"SILEO!!" Wu shouted, casting a silencing and paralyzing spell that   
hit Irvine.   
  
Selphie was by Irvine's side the next minute, trying to de-silence and   
de-paralyze him. "Squall! Our curative spells and potions won't work!"  
  
Squall stopped while the others continued chasing and fighting Wu.   
"Bring him to Ruriko. She may be able to heal him!" Selphie obeyed   
immediately, casting a float spell on Irvine and dragging him towards   
Ruriko.  
  
"Arrow! Release and dispel!" she shouted, summoning the Arrow and   
letting its destructive arrows hit their mark. Wu barely managed to escape.  
  
Wu breathed heavily. The healing process had taken longer than she had   
anticipated and her wounds weren't getting any better. Her healing   
magics weren't like theirs, since she was already a living dead - a   
secret that no one knew. Her healing magic required an object from   
which to suck life from, and it was very difficult to find a target   
helpless enough to allow her to get enough life from. All other people   
were already evacuated, so it wasn't po - but then again, something   
caught her attention.   
  
It was a little boy. He was hiding behind a bush, possibly overlooked   
during the evacuation and chaos. *It will have to do.* she thought,   
speedily picking up the little kid, making it scream in terror.  
  
"Hold on!" Sakura called. "She's got a hostage."  
  
All of them stopped.  
  
"Hey! Put down that little kid, you coward!" Shun shouted.  
  
"Put down such a tasty little piece of morsel?" Wu said, "I don't   
think so." All at once, she sucked the life force from the little kid,   
draining its energy like one sucking an orange. The little kid withered   
at once, like a juice bag whose content had already been sucked out.  
  
Sakura and the others cringed as Wu finished her energizing drink and   
revitalized herself.  
  
Shun raised his Super Bokutou and shouted, "I'll never forgive you,   
you witch! Ultra Whirlwind Slash!"  
  
Squall followed his lead. "Ultima!"  
  
"Fiery, release and dispel!" Sakura shouted.  
  
Their spell combined and became an ultimate fiery whirlwind that only   
managed to blast Wu back and scratch her a bit.  
  
"Pathetic." Wu said, dusting herself off, "simply pathetic."  
  
"Shoot! She wasn't even hacked or slashed or anything!" Shun shouted.  
  
Wu laughed and blasted them with a couple of medium-sized energy   
balls. If it wasn't for Sakura's shield card, they would have been hit   
hard. Shun stood up, furious. Squall dusted himself off while Sakura   
returned the Shield card to the deck.  
  
"Shoot! What do we do now?" Shun asked.  
  
"I suggest that you let Sakura do all the hacking." Another voice   
said. The trio turned to see Saehri and Yukino arriving.  
  
"What happened to Irvine?" Squall asked.  
  
Saehri frowned. "I'm afraid only killing Wu would heal him. Ruriko's   
power only manages to slow down the worst effects." She said.  
  
Sakura approached Saehri and asked, "What do you mean I do all the   
hacking?"   
  
"Only you can do much damage to her. I need Squall, Shun and Yukino   
here." She said, placing a hand on Yukino's shoulders.  
  
Just as they were talking, a great roar of a dragon was heard and   
chaos started once again. They looked around to see Wu riding on the   
now unbound dragon.  
  
"How…?" Sakura asked, puzzled.  
  
"She's older and knows a lot more spells than you do, Sakura. It's   
easy to break your spells. You aren't strong enough yet and now that   
she's flying around, we have to hurry. We'll back you up with our   
powers." Saehri explained, "I'll start the chant. You guys," turning   
to Shun, Squall and Yukino, "don't need to do anything except release   
you powers okay?" they nodded in response.  
  
Just then, a blast of fire scorched the cement a couple of meters   
away from them.  
  
Saehri acted quickly and drew out a card. She threw the card in the   
air and said a single word, "Freeze!" all at once everything froze,   
even Sakura and the others. At that moment, Saehri duplicated the   
symbol that was located on the back of each Clow card.  
  
Then, the spell wore off and a blast for fire was released at them.   
Fortunately for them, Yukino acted quickly and sent a blizzard of   
snow, easing the scorching a bit.  
  
"Darn…" Shun said.  
  
"…" said the ever-silent Squall.  
  
"Go, Sakura!" Saehri urged her.  
  
Sakura darted away, running towards the beast-riding Wu. "They say   
music soothes the savage beast…" Sakura murmured, "…let's test the   
theory now." And at once she drew her Song card. The song came out,   
listening for a sound. Then suddenly, the Song sang a strange song…  
  
"Excitate vow e somno, liberi mei.  
Cunae non sunt.  
Excitate vow e somno, liberi fatali.  
Somnus non eat."  
  
…Wake up from your dream, my children.  
There is no cradle.  
Wake up from your dreams, fated children.  
The dream is not going…  
  
All heads turned, and even Wu and the dragon stopped to look at the   
Song. Sakura knew that the song only mimicked a song it hears and she   
was planning to sing a lullaby. Who was singing this strange song?  
  
"Surgite.  
Invenite hortum veritatis."  
  
…Arise.  
Discover the truth of the Garden…  
  
The young Zell trapped within the body of the dragon, opened a single   
blue eye…  
  
"Ardente veritate  
Urite mala mundi.  
Ardente veritate  
Incendite tenebras mundi."  
  
…Burn with truth  
Scorch the world of evil.  
Burn with truth  
Set fire to the world of darkness…  
  
Saehri took her time and continued her ventriloquism beside the   
song's ear and sang on. She was the one who sang. Someone was singing   
it to her deep inside her mind. This person knew Zell very well but   
Saehri had no idea who it was. Ignoring the questions forming inside   
her head, Saehri shook the others back to reality and made them   
release their powers as she chanted a spell.  
  
"Valete, liberi,  
Diebus fatalibus."  
  
…Goodbye, children,  
From the days of destiny.  
  
Sakura didn't notice that the song was actually over until she   
noticed the Song right in front of her. She returned her to her card   
form and stared at it for a while. Where had it learned Latin?  
  
Wu mentally scolded herself for being drawn to that strange song. Who   
sang it? Why did it move her so? What language was that? All questions   
bugged her mind but one remained the most mind-boggling: why did it   
affect the dragon? Somehow, she felt the change, like something   
awakening from within. She wondered what it was but then set it aside   
for later. First things first but as she ordered the dragon to move,   
it did not obey. Instead, it just stayed right there, floating. Wu got   
off it and floated before its eyes. They were glassy and staring off   
to space.  
  
"What…?" she asked herself, knowing that she wouldn't find an answer.   
Then, she fumed. "Blast it!" she shouted, then floated back down and   
faced Sakura.  
  
Saehri noticed Wu heading towards Sakura and decided to hurry even   
more. Time was running out for them.  
  
"Well now, card mistress. It seems that you have overcome my beast.   
It now time for us to face one another." Wu said.  
  
Sakura looked at her, undaunted. "Well said." At once Sakura jumped   
away, summoning the Arrow card and blasting its full fury at Wu.  
  
Wu avoided the shots easily enough and reciprocated Sakura's first   
blow with twice the amount of firepower. She barely hit Sakura, who   
was running around and jumping everywhere to become a harder target.   
  
Sakura then summoned her sword card and immediately attacked Wu, who   
barely - but still managed to - parry her attack.  
  
"Very quick, card mistress." Wu said.  
  
Sakura smiled. "I've been practicing."  
  
Meanwhile, back to where Saehri and the others are, Saehri's cards   
surrounded them and circled about them as Squall, Yukino and Shun   
released their powers and Saehri chanted on. Suddenly, all four were   
surrounded by light, creating four pillars of light that caught the   
attention of Sakura and Wu.  
  
"Drats you, Saehri!" Wu muttered. She then left Sakura to attack them   
but then she fell unconscious.  
  
"What the…?" Sakura said.  
  
"I only sent her to her past. I know you wouldn't be able to stop   
her." Ellone's voice said from behind. Sakura turned around to thank   
her - she was looking very tired. "don't thank me yet" she said, "Wu's   
still alive and I could only hold her there for a short time - if she   
doesn't fight back - and who knows when those four are going to   
finish?"  
  
"How are Irvine and the others?" Sakura asked.  
  
"He's fine." Ellone replied, "But I'm afraid Ruriko can't hold it off   
any longer." She said sadly.  
  
Just then, Ellone collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily.  
  
Sakura immediately kneeled beside her and asked, "Ellone! What's   
wrong?"  
  
"S-she's trying t-to be free! Sh-she's fighting back!" Ellone gasped.  
  
Sakura looked at the jerking body of Wu and faced Ellone again. "Let   
her go, Ellone. I can take care of her." Ellone looked at her   
questioningly and just smiled. Then she fainted.  
  
Wu woke up screaming in rage. "Foolish little girl!"  
  
Sakura stood up and faced Wu. Just as they were about to fight, a   
loud roar was heard. Sakura and Wu looked at the enraged dragon,   
jerking around and now causing more chaos. It broke free from the   
Garden though its roof and flew, spewing flames everywhere.  
  
"Sakura! Now!" Saehri suddenly shouted, "draw all your cards!"  
  
Sakura looked at Saehri, puzzled. But she did as she was told and   
drew out all her cards. All at once a beam of light was released from   
Saehri's hand and entered Sakura's body. She felt warm all over and   
felt herself getting stronger.  
  
Wu, just stared, still surprised by what had just happened.  
  
"Sakura! Summon all of your cards!" Saehri shouted once again. Sakura   
did as was told.   
  
But then, the dragon broke in the Garden again, still spewing fourth   
fire. A scream was heard from far away and a sound of spells being   
blasted. The sounds of fire burning though combustible items filled   
the area as the dragon raged on.  
  
Shun, Squall and Yukino fell on the floor exhausted. Saehri stood up   
by her last strength, holding on to it with grim determination. She   
cast a spell of protection over herself and the others, protecting   
them from the fire. She then ventured forward towards Sakura, the   
others still too tired to stop her.  
  
All of Sakura's cards whirled around her, faster and faster until   
they seemed to form a pink glowing ring around her. Fire rained down   
on Sakura but the cards kept her safe, shielding her with their   
combined powers. Then the dragon stopped before her, staring at her   
intently. And while that happened, all the cards met and combined into   
a single, white and black glowing card. Sakura opened her eyes and did   
not notice the dragon but the card.  
  
Wu stared at the card as well.  
  
Saehri arrived at the scene, just to see Sakura get hold of the card.  
  
It was an odd card, unlike anything that Sakura has seen before. Both   
sides were painted with a figure with a proper name. And it was   
properly colored, unlike the original Clow cards whose figures were   
colored an old yellow-orange mix with violet on the background, or   
like Saehri's card which was silver in color, or her cards which were   
all pink. On one side, the frame of the card was just like the   
Original Clow deck - same with the colors of brown and gold with all   
the appropriate designs. The figure drawn here was a woman with wavy   
golden hair that flowed around her and sparkling green eyes.  
  
Sakura stared again.  
  
She wasn't hallucinating. Her eyes were open and they were green -   
very unlike the cards that she'd known whose female figure's eyes were   
always closed.  
  
Then, this figure had pink lips forming a smile. Her skin was fair   
and she was very beautiful. She wore a white, simple off-shoulder   
dress, lined with gold and whose sleeves reached her wrists. A large   
golden, diamond-studded sun medallion was chained around her neck, and   
little golden stars decorated her loose and flowing skirt. She was   
holding a blossom-filled cherry blossom branch on both hands. Her   
background was sky-blue sky filled with clouds and below her the word   
"Life" was inscribed.  
  
"Sakura," Saehri called her, "look." She said, motioning her to look   
at the other side.  
  
The face on the other side of the card struck true fear in her heart.   
The frame color was that of Saehri's deck which was a silver and dark   
blue theme. It was a picture of a pale-skinned woman with blood-red   
lips and piercing ice-blue eyes. Nothing much was to be seen of her,   
since she was wearing a black hood and cape that covered most of her   
body but Sakura figured that she was wearing something long-sleeved   
since her hands, which was holding a glaive, was covered until the   
wrists. Around her neck was chained a quarter moon, whose other side -   
which in a real quarter moon isn't supposed to be seen - was placed a   
large piece of dark-red garnet, making it a whole circle. She had a   
dark, lighting-streaked sky and the word "Death" was inscribed below   
her.  
  
"What is that?" Wu suddenly said.  
  
Saehri faced her and said, "My brother called it 'The Crossroads', I   
call it 'The Card of Life and Death'. Both our decks had one of those.   
It can only be summoned if one has enough power and energy - and if   
the situation demands it. It is the most powerful card in the deck,   
more powerful than the Light and Dark cards." She stopped for a while.   
"It is the only two-sided card and it can only be used two ways: just   
one side or both."  
  
"Both?" Sakura asked.  
  
Saehri nodded. "Yes. It is very dangerous when used both. As you can   
see, it is a double-sided card, it has no back part. If you used only   
one side, you will never be able to use the other side as you will be   
drained of most of your energy and the deck will then separate again.   
On the other hand, if you use both, while one side if affected by   
death, the other is affected by life. Be careful of what you choose."   
She said.  
  
Wu smiled. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a hard decision isn't it? You think   
you can handle it?"   
  
Just then, a soft growling sound was heard and the once-forgotten   
dragon was noticed again. Sakura jumped back and staggered a bit. The   
dragon looked straight into her eyes.   
  
…just do what you have to do…  
  
Sakura looked around, looking from where the voice came from and   
suddenly, she realized that it was from the dragon. Tears filled her   
eyes to the thought that Zell's original self was back - though not   
physically. Sakura was about to ask help from Saehri when she sees   
that she was lying on the ground.  
  
"Saehri!" she shouts.  
  
No reply.  
  
Wu laughed. "No hope. Life or Death?" she asked tauntingly.  
  
The dragon placed itself behind Sakura and they both faced Wu. Sakura   
was about to summon the Fiery when she remembered that she couldn't.   
She looked at Wu with determination. "Life AND Death!" she shouted,   
and she threw the card up high and summoned both sides, with the Death   
facing Wu.  
  
"Life and Death! Release and Dispel!"  
  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________  
  
  
ahh yes, let's not forget the epilogue shall we?... 


	32. Epilogue

**usual disclaimers apply**

-------------------------------------------------------------------

**A MAGICIAN'S CURSE**

by Yumemi

~Epilogue~

"Sorry, no more hotdogs." The lady at the counter said.

"OH MAN!" shouted a male, blonde, blue-eyed SeeD with the trademark tattoo on his face, Zell. He walked away from the cafeteria just to see Sakura walking towards him.

"Zell…" she said, with a half-smile on her face.

Zell looked up. He smiled and waved his hand in the air. "Don't mind me. I'm fine." He said.

Sakura opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

"Sakura, just take care of yourself for me, okay?" Zell flashed a genuine smile.

Sakura looked back at him, smiling, with sparkling eyes filled with tears and embraced him. "Thank you…"

Zell embraced her for the last time. "Don't mention it." They broke their embrace with Sakura wiping her tears. Zell joked with her a bit to make her smile. Though deep inside his heart ached for the loss of her, Zell was happy to see her happy.

"Sakura, it's time. Saehri's calling." a male voice from behind her said. Sakura turned around to see a brown-haired boy, just Sakura's age, with amber eyes and well-built body.

"Sayoran…" Sakura said, walking closer to embrace him.

Syaoran broke their embrace and faced Zell. "Thank you. Thank you for taking care of Sakura." He said as he clasped Zell's hand.

Zell gripped it tightly and smiled. "Always glad to be of service. You better go then; Rhi might get angry with me for keeping you."

With that, the trio walked to the quad where a host of people were seen. There was a talking lion with wings and no mane on one side, there was a black panther with green butterfly wings, a tall and stately man with silver hair, ice-blue eyes and a pair of wings. It was like a costume party actually.

"Sakura! Syaoran!...Zell!" a female wearing a magician's robe and hat with deep blue eyes and long black hair greeted them, holding a camera in her hand. The three subjects waved and smiled for her.

"Tomoyo! You can never change!" Sakura said.

Tomoyo turned off the cam and smiled. "It would be boring if I did." She said.

"I think so too." Sakura replied.

They then proceeded to walk towards Saehri.

"Wu's dead - because of the Death and Sakura's deepest desires came true… so was everything else - you know, things fixed and stuff - because of the Life card." A tired Saehri explained again to the others… for the sixth time. 

"Interesting." A slit-eyed boy named Takashi said. "I think…"

"Keep quiet, Takashi!" Chiharu, a girl with pigtails, interjected.

"Can Wu still die if she's already dead?" the glasses-wearing Naoko asked.

Saehri sighed.

"It seems you're having a hard time controlling them." Rinoa said, laughing.

Saehri smiled. "Yes, yes. Quite the though bunch I say…"

"'Tough Bunch'? what do you mean 'Tough Bunch'?" Takashi asked.

"Takashi…" Chiharu said, pinching his ear.

"Hmm… killing an undead… interesting…" Naoko said, walking away.

Rinoa and Saehri both sweatdropped. "weird." They both said at the same time.

"Hey! Sakura's here!" Keroberos' loud and booming voice said. The huge guardian then turned into his 'stuffed animal' form and flew directly at her. All other people crowded them.

Rinoa smiled. "I'm gonna miss her." She said.

"Very likely." Saehri replied. And then she stood up and shouted, "Hey! All people needed here come over here now! Say all your final good-byes!" 

The majority of the crowd then migrated behind her, all prepared. Sakura, Ruriko, Shun and Yukino said or waved their good-byes to the SeeD group. 

"Thanks again for the wonderful "Light" experience." Irvine told Ruriko.

"No prob." She said.

"I'm gonna miss ya man!" Shun told Zell.

Zell smiled. "Me too. Too bad I wasn't able to get hotdogs for you." he replied.

Then, they too left and joined Saehri. Zell and the others stepped closer.

"Thanks Rhi." Zell said.

Saehri only smiled. "Good-bye, Huan-Lang, your majesty." She bowed.

No one laughed, only smiled. Everybody was quite solemn and sad - but at the same time happy as well. Then, a dark-haired boy with glasses holding a long staff with a golden sun on the top end, and a tall man with light brown hair and glasses stepped forward.

"Hold on." She told the two of them. Saehri then said something and a bright light came out from the two people and joined into one. When the bright light faded, a tall man with long black hair tied at the back - looking just like a male counterpart of Saehri - with glasses wearing a Chinese suit appeared. Saehri smiled. "Reed…" she said.

The man called Reed smiled. "Until now you still can't perform this spell on your own?" he said jokingly.

"With this many people? No…" she replied. Then whispered, "I'll be seeing you soon."

Clow Reed, as Sakura knew very well, smiled at his twin sister. Then, at the same time the two chanted and a large teleporting circle encircled the whole group. Sakura and the others waved good-bye for the last time and then there was a flash… then nothing at all.

Zell wiped a few tears away from his eyes.

Irvine clasped his hand on Zell's shoulders and said, "There are still many fishes in the sea, you know."

"Shut up." He said.

Then, for the first time in the whole event, Squall spoke up. "Let's go."

Rinoa smiled and put her hands akimbo. "You're so heartless." She said.

"What did I do?" Squall asked.

Rinoa just smiled and led him out. Everybody else followed them.

"Mr. Fujitaka Kinomoto was a very nice man." A sweet voice from behind said. Zell looked around to see matron walking behind him.

"Hi, Matron." Zell greeted.

"Hello, Zell. Feeling better?" she asked.

Zell nodded. And then, he looked up and said, "Thank you Matron. You saved me."

Matron just smiled. "Let's go now and forget that. Your Ma will be pretty worried about you by now." She said.

Zell smiled and walked away from Matron and closer to where Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, Rinoa and Squall were. "Hey guys! Let's go to Balamb and visit Ma! Let's eat there!" he said.

"Won't Ma Dincht get angry? It's really unexpected!" Rinoa said.

"Nah! She won't!" Zell replied.

"Let's go then!" came Selphie's jolly answer.

And so, they went to Zell's house and ate there.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

They all arrived at the empty lot where the Gatekeepers were still standing. Only five minutes had passed since Shun, Ruriko and Yukino were kidnapped and they were surprised to seeing them come back with the other - supposedly dead - guys. Ruriko started explaining since they needed explanation and just kept a few things to herself. On the other hand, Eriol and Fujitaka Kinomoto were back to normal, as they had fainted when Clow arrived, and well.

For the many people who had seen and talked to Saehri, only Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Eriol and Mr. Fujitaka noticed that she had disappeared. Only Sakura knew where she was now.

Looking up at then sky Sakura closed her eyes and smiled then whispered, "Be happy there."

___________________________________________________________________

*sniff* *sniff*

Well, there you have it. The end. I hope you liked it. Well, it's not actually the type you might have expected but hey! There it is. For those who wished that the Z+S thing should have worked, sorry, I'm quite the S+S fan. And besides, I don't think it would have worked out very well either.

*someone saying, "What do you mean by that?" is heard from the background*

*Sweatdrop*

Hehehe...

Anyways, for those who didn't get why Zell thank Matron, here's the info: remember the 'Liberi Fatali' song? (You know, the Latin song that the Song sang) Matron sang it to Saehri – through mental telepathy – with Ellone's help (hey. let's not forget that Edea was a born sorceress) and therefore, waking the spirit deep inside Zell and thus, shaking him to his senses. (So, it's like the song was a spell to wake Zell up - gets?)

- There! I hope you liked it!

Special thanks to: (people in order of who first reviewed)

C.M Aeris Queen of Insanity, Azrael.EXE, Kali, Leesa, :D, Purple, cjchan, Triad Card 844A, marcia moon, Never-A-Final-Fantasy, CJ-Chan (I dunno of u and cjchan are the same but I'll just write this one…just in case), Callisto Moon, Xtreme Nuisance, Jean, wakka, Mitski, SparkleCandy2002 (Krissy), Rumorgirl411, Hotaru-The Sovreign Of Silence, The-Guardian, The Freaky Angel of Fire,

Dagger_Girl

And of course, let's not forget those readers who didn't review but read anyway AND the other reviewers but aren't included. (Remember that time when FF.net was kinda in a jam – the other review pages *might* (I'm not sure) have been erased. I swear that I started only with C.M Aeris Queen of Insanity!!!! Even if you take a look!!!!) **You all inspired me!!! Thank you!!!!!!**

**~THANK YOU FOR ****READING****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~**

**until the next fic! Jaa ne!! ^_^**

**~Yumemi~**


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